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SUNDAY PLUS TheNation

JANUARY 02, 2011

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INSIDE THIS WEEK JANUARY 2, 2011

10

INTERVIEW

MQM Quaid Altaf Hussain shares his political vision and views

INTERVIEW

(N) chief Mian Nawaz Sharif talks 20 PML about his party’s future course of action

INTERVIEW

Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani 28 Prime talks about his government’s goals

TRAVEL

the natural and beautiful 36 Showcasing endowments of Pakistan

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20 KASHMIR SOLUTION 28 POLICY OF RECONCILIATION 28 DISMANTLE‘ESTBALISHEDORDER’ INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW

HOLLYWOOD

exotic collection of the most 69 The promising designer Ali Xeeshan

BOOKS

the best fashion icons of the 76 Presenting year 2010

IN VIEW

84

hits and misses of entertainment 42 The industry in Hollywood of the national and international 46 Review bestsellers

52

INTERVIEW

Special report on the foreign sponsored target killings and terrorism

STYLE

FASHION

MUSIC

DIPLOMACY

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ISSUE OF THE YEAR

90 36

With the dawn of 2011 dear readers we present to you an altogether revamped Sunday Plus.

As hopefully Pakistan is in transition for better times, therefore we present to you a new look of The Nation. Sunday Plus from now onwards would reflect the nation’s march towards a better future. This special edition of S+ includes interviews of the top political elite of the country, special reports on various vital national issues, the upcoming trends in fashion and entertainment industry, critical analyses of the socio-political situation and showcasing the positive aspects of what Pakistan has to offer to the rest of the world. Stay with us every week to enjoy the all new look S+.

SUNDAY PLUS

Causes of decline in foreign policy making

Editor-in-Chief Majid Nizami

HOROSCOPE

Deputy Managing Director Rameeza Nizami

58 Terror, recession rocks the music industry 86 Astrological forecast for the year 2011 Special report on the atrocities of Indian forces in the occupied Kashmir

EDITOR’S NOTE

TIMELINE

Report on the major happenings and events of last year

Group Editor: Salim Bokhari Editor Magazine: Emanuel Sarfraz Editorial Staff: Bishakha Khadka Kunwar, Madiha Syedain, Sadaf Pervez & Navirah Zafar Creative Head: Faiz-ur-Rehman Creative Team: Faisal Fazal, Talal Waheed, HM. Nouman, Sohail Abbas & Shoaib Qadir Photographer: Zahid Bashir Marketing: Bilal Mahmood, Muhammad Zaeem & Salman Ahmed

INTERVIEW

By EMANUEL SARFRAZ

ALTAF SEES DIFFICULT TIMES

AHEAD FOR GOVT

On Monday night (December 27), the MQM Rabita Committee which held emergency sessions in Karachi and London decided to quit the federal cabinet on account of differences with the PPP. Party chief Altaf Hussain endorsed the decision. The situation is very fluid and anything can happen by the time you read these lines. However, what was the MQM’s thinking before its decision to quit the cabinet will become clearer from the following interview.

Emanuel Sarfraz: Barring some brief spans, relations between the PPP and the MQM have always been strained. PPP’s Dr Zulfiqar Mirza has been levelling serious allegations against the MQM, which should be intolerable for any self-respecting coalition partner. But the MQM has been sticking to power, swallowing all accusations. Should it be assumed that the allegations are wellfounded and the MQM is not in a position to defend itself?

Altaf Hussain: The allegations are totally unfounded and baseless. I enquired from the members of the Rabita Committee who are not aware of any MQM worker being in detention for these alleged crimes and neither have they approached Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani nor President Asif Ali Zardari for their release!

I request Dr Zulfiquar Mirza to produce them in the court of law so that his claim can be corroborated in the court of law and truthfulness of his claim can be proved. He 10 SUNDAY PLUS January 2, 2011

should act with responsibility and not engage in media trial to taint the image of the MQM nationally and internationally. I hope that Pakistan People’s Party is not resorting to this ploy of “Target Killings” to part ways by conspiring against the MQM similar to the case of late Hakim Saeed Murder case when Mian Nawaz Sharif himself came on the television channels showing the confessional statements taken under duress from the workers of the MQM and declaring the MQM guilty who were later honourably acquitted by court. Thank God, today, the MQM stands vindicated of all charges levelled against it since 1992. Those military generals, brigadiers and intelligence officers accused the MQM of all charges themselves confessed through public statements that those accusations were false and “drama”.

Furthermore, you are absolutely correct that barring some brief spans, relationship with the PPP and MQM has been strained. I am fully aware and experienced the form of

governance of the Pakistan People’s Party and their lack of sincerity and commitment to the MQM since 1988. In 1988, our coalition fell apart because they did not honour a single clause of the agreement duly signed by both parties. During 1993-1996, the PPP government committed unparalleled atrocities against the MQM during which over 15,000 MQM workers and supporters were arbitrarily arrested, tortured in custody and extra-judicially killed including my political elder brother Nasir Hussain and nephew Arif Hussain.

You rightly said that allegations levelled

by Dr Zulfiqaur Mirza are so heinous that it should be intolerable. However, responsible politics demands enormous amount of tolerance and flexibility that MQM has, historically, and always manifested though accused of being intolerant in the past and ditching the coalition partners. We lodged our protests with the president and the prime minister every time Dr Zulfiquar

INTERVIEW

MOST PARTIES GOT BIRTH FROM THE WOMB OF THE ESTABLISHMENT Mirza levelled false accusations, as would be expected of a coalition partner giving time to the president and prime minister to rectify the mistake or explain their position.

This time round, we have gone a distance more by reaching out people at the grass roots level seeking their consensus what steps should the MQM take. Moreover, we have been tolerant also because we did not wish to derail the democracy and provide opportunity to anyone to create law and order situation in Sindh.

ES: The MQM claims to be belonging to the 98 per cent ordinary people, but it has always stood by the two per cent it claims to be struggling against. Why? Does it not amount to ‘running with the hare and hunting with the hound?’

AH: Unfortunately, feudal lords, tribal chieftains in nexus of military and civil bureaucracy have been ruling the country since its inception. The MQM is, genuinely, the only grass root party that has emerged from middle class working people and downtrodden segments of Pakistan. And, it is the only party that is continuously struggling to abolish the archaic feudal political system in vogue, since the creation of the country. The MQM is the only party that dared oppose the military intervention in Pakistani politics for the first time in the history of Pakistan politics whereas all other monolithic leaders were terrified and shivered every time I used words “military” and “intelligence agencies” in our meetings to which I personally stand witness. Because of our opposition, we suffered military and state operations for several years that commenced on 19th June 1992. Having realised that our Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies were misled by our politicians and made to pitch against Urdu-speaking community generally and the MQM workers and supporters in particular. After the state operations, I realised that people of Pakistan generally and the intellectuals, scholars, writers, journalists, lawyers and other professionals, members of the NGOs and civil society in particular are

not ready for a change as they all fell prey to the governmental propaganda and disinformation campaign against the MQM that was waged in a scientific and sustained manner. I along with my colleagues then decided to struggle by remaining within the system. Unfortunately, one has to negotiate and work with those in power until the “Established Order” is dismantled. Working from within has so far, proved beneficial, we have empowered more people from the January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 11

INTERVIEW

MQM WANTS TO DISMANTLE ‘ESTABLISHED ORDER’

educated middle class and downtrodden segments by sending them to the National Assembly, Provincial Assembly of Sindh and the Senate, democratically denting the on-going feudal political system. We have successfully achieved two seats in the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly, one in Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly and also managed to open offices in almost every district of Punjab, including Lahore. We have opened offices in Balochistan, KhyberPakhtoonkhaw and Hazara Division. While being against the Establishment, we were on the receiving end and while all the political leaders, be it Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, Mian Nawaz Sharif or others heralding their democratic credentials have always negotiated and befriended those at the helm of affairs. The way, we are gaining support, Inshallah, we are taming the hound and soon we will neutralise it. Furthermore, before the emergence of the MQM, do you think that common man of Pakistan could have even faintly imagined contesting elections against these familial and feudal dinosaurs’?

The MQM has brought about this revolution and this is being feared by the ruling elite.

Hence, the propaganda against us is now even more intense.

ES: The MQM has been coalition partner with the PPP, the PML-N and even Gen Musharraf’s setup. Does this mean the MQM wants to stay in power at all costs, no matter who is the other bedfellow? And if 12 SUNDAY PLUS January 2, 2011

the party can work with people of all shades of opinion, will it be right to conclude that it has no ideology of its own?

Your conjecture is wrong and this coming from learned and honourable persons is even more astounding! Every party works to remain in power but MQM being in power has always served the people and raised issues of public interests and opposed matters against public interest despite remaining in power while the opposition parties did not dare challenge the ruling elites. As explained above, the MQM’s ideology is the ‘Dismantle the Established Order”. As explained which we are achieving our aims and objectives democratically and peacefully through electoral process, at the moment! We have been consistently increasing the numbers of the elected members in the legislative bodies of Pakistan in each election.

So far as the question of the bedfellow is concerned, I am more than positive that all other parties not only have been the bedfellows but have taken birth from the wombs of the “Establishment”. Eyewitnesses must be alive even today, who would testify that the late Zulfiquar Ali Bhutto called late “Field Marshal” Ayub Khan “Daddy”, followed by other PPP leadership negotiating with the late General Zia-ul-Haq and then President ® General Musharraf to return to Pakistan to re-engage in politics. Mian Nawaz Sharif, his politics of Muslim League now (N) and his progression in politics is the result of direct seduction by the late General ® Jilani and then their adoption by dictator the late General ® Zia-ul-Haq on whose mausoleum Nawaz Sharif religiously went on his death anniversaries and vowed to accomplish his mission. With these records, the leaders, their cohorts and the MQM critics should refrain from stereo-typed ranting and use their brain before accelerating their tongue. People also accuse me that MQM was created by General Zia-ul-Haq to marginalise the PPP. My critics should see the election results even before the emergence of the MQM. Historically, PPP had two to three National Assembly seats from Karachi which they still have. Their vote bank was rural Sindh which still is. Karachi

and Hyderabad and other urban centres of Sindh were the strongholds of the religious parties which the MQM uprooted. This is on record that Gen.Zia-ul-Haq’s summary military court sentenced me 3 times on concocted charges and the last sentence was for 9 months rigorous imprisonment and 5 lashes on concocted charges. I completed the sentence. I was the only leader who termed the Musharraf takeover as unconstitutional and in consultation with the members of the central coordination committee boycotted the local elections of 2001 hoping that other parties claiming to be upholders of democratic credentials would follow suit, pressuring Musharraf to hold democratic elections but instead they saw the elections as an opportunity to grab Karachi and Hyderabad as a result of our boycott. And, working with people of all shades and opinion is democratic and positive so long as one does not deviate from its ideology which slowly but surely doing away with the archaic feudal political system unless Pakistan implodes producing “French Like Revolution”.

ES: The MQM and the PPP are the only two major political forces in Sindh. In spite of this, peace seems to be alien to the city of lights. Why? Who should be held responsible for the targeted killings and other incidents of lawlessness?

AH: The MQM was in power in Sindh for nearly eight years during the Musharraf rule. We had important ministries, including the Home Ministry. During that period, the PPP, the ANP, the PML (N), PML (Q), the Jamaat-i-Islami were there in Sindh.

But throughout that period, with the exception of a few isolated cases, the entire province in general and Karachi in particular was peaceful. Karachi progressed and experienced development beyond imagination, business was vibrant and the stock market peaked to a point never experienced since the creation of Pakistan. This peaceful landscape changed immediately after the takeover by the Pakistan People’s Party. Their claim that next mayor of Karachi would be from PPP prompted them to create their nexus with the criminals of the

INTERVIEW

ANP, land mafia, drug mafia, gun mafia and other criminal groups and simultaneously continue with their propaganda of holding the MQM responsible. This mindset alone is responsible for the law and order. The MQM has electoral support. It does not control administration, police, Rangers and other law enforcers. They are controlled by the Chief Minister of Sindh, Home Minster and Federal Ministers belonging to the PPP. I hope you now understand the underlying situation why Karachi is experiencing law and order situation.

ES: To what extent the MQM has improved the lot of the people of Sindh ever since it started playing a political role? How Sindh is a better place than other provinces because of the MQM’s role? If you couldn’t do anything for this province in two

to a system that is inherently parochial and tyrannical. You have seen the change in province of Sindh and, Inshallah, with the support of the people of other province, the MQM would change the destiny of the common man in other provinces and soon you would see their representation in the legislative bodies of Pakistan from the platform of the MQM. Surely, you would have the example of Karachi and Hyderabad that experienced developments unparalleled in the history of Pakistan since its creation under the Nazims of the MQM. This is one of the glaring examples of what the MQM can deliver given the opportunity by the people of other provinces and cities.

The MQM ministers both in Federation and provinces have delivered despite political constraints.

OPPOSITION PARTIES ARE ALSO INVOLVED IN CORRUPT PRACTICES decades, what good can be expected when you will be having your presence in other provinces?

AH: Your questions have similarities and repetition. Your readers should understand that the lot of the people of Sindh cannot be changed until and unless the feudal system is abolished, because the feudal ruling class inherently believes the people living on their lands as serfs and the land their fiefdoms. We are changing slowly by sending the common man from Sindh to the legislative bodies of Pakistan, as stated a few times in above answers. For the past two decades, if you see the electoral results, the number of representation in the legislative bodies of Pakistan has been progressively increased in each elections, thus empowering the common man which can only be achieved over a period, I do not have a “magic wand” that I bring change

ES: Security is the major reason for which Mr Altaf Hussain is staying away from Pakistan. Why is it not possible for the coalition at the Centre and Sindh, of which the MQM is a part, to provide security to Mr Altaf Hussain? If the president, the prime minister, an army of ministers – and above all 180 million people of Pakistan – can face all threats and challenges, why is it not possible for Mr Altaf Hussain to do the same?

AH: As stated above and the fact remains that had I decided to stay in Pakistan and conduct the movement, I and other leaders of the MQM would have been charge-sheeted on hundreds of false and concocted cases, labelled as anti-state, traitors, hounded and hunted by the agencies and eliminated. Bear in mind, we were a coalition partner both in federation and province when the operation against us

was launched on 19th June, 1992. Also bear in mind, the medals of nationalism and patriotism are awarded at the discretion and convenience of the Establishment and the ruling elite. President Gen. ® Musharraf was attacked while he was the COAS and the president, Former Corps.

Commander of Karachi was attacked and the former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was attacked while they were in power.

However, they miraculously escaped death, which late Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto Shaheed could not escape. Despite my wishes, my Rabita Committee members, office bearers, workers and supporters do not permit to return at this juncture while terrorism and suicide bombings are rife.

ES: If London is regarded as the most secure place, how will you explain the murder of MQM leader Dr Imran Farooq? And if he can be killed, why can’t anyone else be? Is this single example not sufficient for Mr Altaf Hussain to stop thinking London a safer place and return to Pakistan at the earliest?

AH: No place is safe in today’s world. London was considered safe until recently for exiled leaders not only from Pakistan but from the rest of the world. I still consider London relatively safe in comparison to other countries because of peoples’ faith in British justice, its investigating authorities including the Scotland Yard of reaching into the bottom of crimes committed, apprehend the perpetrators and expose conspiracies involved in political assassinations and hopefully, the murderers and conspiracy behind the murder of Dr Imran Farooq will unfold, sooner or later.

ES: What’s your assessment of the country’s situation for the next few months?

Will the present setup complete its term?

AH: The country indeed, is suffering from bad governance, rampant corruption and is virtually rendered dysfunctional. Poor are committing suicide and selling their children because they cannot afford their upkeep due to price hike. I can catalogue umpteen problems facing the country but for the purpose of brevity I will simply say that the country is in disarray. The major opposition parties that act as catalyst for change are accommodating the government and are also involved in corrupt practices. I see difficult times ahead for the government. And to complete full term, the government needs to improve governance and provide relief to the common man.

H H H January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 13

INTERVIEW

BY ASHRAF MUMTAZ

20 SUNDAY PLUS January 2, 2011

INTERVIEW

LAHORE DECLARATION

KEY TO KASHMIR SOLUTION PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif says differences between his party and the ruling PPP over an important clause are responsible for the delay in the enactment of a new accountability law.

“The much-delayed new accountability law has been stuck at the National Assembly committee because the PPP wants to remove a clause under which the Pakistan government can ask any country to freeze the accounts of a Pakistani national alleged to have committed corruption. The PML-N is opposing it”, he said in an exclusive interview with Sunday Plus.

January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 21

INTERVIEW

T

he former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was overthrown by Gen Pervez Musharraf on October 12, 1999. He wants money made through corruption and kickbacks and deposited in foreign banks should be brought back to the country.

He said while immunity to various public office holders was a routine, its misuse should not be tolerated.

He said the PPP was in power at the centre because of his understanding with Benazir Bhutto in the light of the Charter of Democracy.

He realizes the importance of unity among various factions of the PML, but says his workers are not willing to accept those who have been cooperating with the dictator. This means a categorical ‘no’ to the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, who are heading their own faction, which is divided over the issue of leadership of Chaudhry Shujaat Husain.

Following are the excerpts of Mr Sharif’s interview: AM: In an interview with this newspaper a few months ago, you said the government is drawing its end nearer because of its wrong policies. But now that the government is facing difficulties because of the RGST and other issues you have said you will not let the government fall.

Will you like to explain why this contradiction in your views? Does it mean that the government should stay on despite all kinds of corruption charges?

MNS: So far the matter of increasing corruption in the national institutions is concerned, we do condemn it and we always raise our voice on every forum – be it the parliament or any other public platform.

To the best of my knowledge and belief, no government can last for so long and ultimately it reaches its logical end. PML-N has already decided to keep on unveiling the corruption with solid proofs within the public and the parliament. Initially, we do believe in strengthening the institutions and proceeding against the wrongdoings and corruption through respective forums but if the government doesn’t change its traits and it fails to exterminate the root causes of corruption including nepotism, nontransparent deals and merit violations, we have other options to consider.

AM: The government wants to impose

22 SUNDAY PLUS January 2, 2011

The circumstances were very much feasible for the peaceful solution of the Kashmir issue but the dictator sabotaged all the efforts in this regard.

RGST to be able to get more aid from the IMF. You say that leakage of hundreds of billions of rupees should be plugged and money being misspent on top state institutions should be saved rather than seeking foreign assistance. Will you take any practical steps to force the government to agree to your solution of the problem?

MNS: I think the government is already facing a crisis of trust deficit. Hence, it should avoid taking such steps which are likely to burden the people who are already passing through extra ordinary mental strain and financial crisis due to uncontrolled inflation and unbridled unemployment.

AM: There are many who are of the view that the country will not need foreign assistance if all leaders bring home their money in foreign banks. Do you agree with this point of view? Can you play a role in persuading such Pakistanis to bring back their money?

MNS: You know the PML-N has demanded many times that the money that had been got through corruption and kickbacks and deposited in the foreign banks should be brought back to the country. Most of the people are aware of the fact that the much-delayed new accountability law has been stuck at the National Assembly committee because the PPP wants to remove a clause under which the Pakistan government can ask any country to freeze the accounts of a Pakistani national alleged to have committed corruption and we are opposing it.

AM: How do you see the suggestions

that leaders having assets abroad should not be allowed to hold any public office in Pakistan?

MNS: Certainly, all those who had been involved in making money through illegal means, illegitimate practices and who made money and assets through loot and plunder should be held accountable not only through the public but also they should be penalized under the law. We also support all the measures which can bring the looted national wealth back to the country which currently lies in the foreign banks. Our stance on the NRO clearly depicts our position in this regard.

AM: You have been consistently urging President Zardari to bring back the allegedly looted wealth from the Swiss banks.

However, so far he remains unmoved. Even the Supreme Court has not been able to implement its verdict on the subject.

What in your opinion should be down now?

MNS: The matter is already in the apex court and our position is very clear on it.

That is why we always urge the federal government to follow the verdict and directives of Supreme Court.

AM: Do you agree with the suggestion that the immunity available to the president and other state functionaries should be taken back – or at least an effort should be made to do so even if it doesn’t succeed – so that it is not misused by any one holding to offices? Should it not be made part of the 19th amendment?

MNS: Constitutions provide immunities

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The PPP was in power at the centre because of my understanding with Benazir Bhutto in the light of the Charter of Democracy. to the public office holders not only in Pakistan but in the other countries too. However such provisions are often misused and abused when influential people exploit them to safeguard against their malpractices.

Holders of the public offices who commit wrongs and then misuse these immunities can never be tolerated and should not be spared at all. If our institutions are strong, people are vigilant, law of accountability is intact, constitution and laws are obeyed and the courts are independent, such misuse can be checked.

AM: When you were in power the solution of Kashmir dispute looked quite possible because of the trust between you and then Indian prime minister Vajpayee.

However, the situation has qualitatively changed after the overthrow of your government. What, in your opinion, should be done now to enable the Kashmiris to get their right to self-determination?

MNS: I agree with your analysis. In fact the situation depicts a clear-cut difference between the democratic and the dictatorial regime. The circumstances were very much feasible for the peaceful solution of the Kashmir issue but the dictator sabotaged all the efforts in this regard. I do believe that for the purpose to revert the worsened situation in the held Kashmir, we will have to once again follow the initiatives which we made. Lahore declaration can still be revived and we can move ahead reinstating the lost trust between the two countries.

You might have recalled the statement of the Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee soon after the Lahore Declaration (1999) that the next year (2000) would be the year of solution of Kashmir issue.

AM: The PPP is in power mainly because of the disunity of the PML factions.

The political scene will change the day the fragmented party gets united. If your party can work with its arch rival- PPP – despite the fact that you don’t want it on your side, and your ministers took oath at the hands of Gen Musharraf, no matter how reluctantly, why is it not possible for you to sit with all PML factions in the larger national interest? Will you give some practical formula which is acceptable to

all factions?

MNS: This is not true that the PPP is in power mainly because of the disunity of the PML factions. It came into power because of my understanding with the PPP Quaid Shaheed Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto that whosoever would score larger number of seats in the parliament shall form the government whether in the National Assembly or in the provinces. In the general elections of 2008, PPP scored larger number of seats in the National Assembly and we respected its mandate. We didn’t make even a single attempt to form the government. Same goes true for Punjab where the PML-N emerged as the single largest party and it formed its government in the province. I sincerely wish that instead of getting power hungry, we should respect mandate of the people.

PML-N respects all such efforts which are being made to bring the political entities on the common national agenda and platform but we are never supportive of such alliances or the coalitions merely to attain powers or which are helpful in giving easy access to the power corridors. In the current situation, the politicians and the political parties need to get united against corruption, we need to make alliance against lawlessness, we need to gather our efforts to strengthen the democracy and to fight against poverty, unemployment, extremism and all such crises which are currently spelling over the country and creating panic among the people of Pakistan. With the continuous political struggle of PML-N workers and its leadership and due to our politics based on principles, today our party has emerged as one of the most popular and highly regarded political entity in the country. The matter had been thoroughly discussed within the forums of our party and after intense deliberations; we decided not to join any alliance if it was meant to secure the personal interests rather than getting together on the national agenda.

Then our party does believe that the efforts currently being made, were dictated by expediency, and were not backed by any national agenda.

AM: You are not willing to join hands

with the Chaudhrys and are also unable to take any action against them despite leveling serious corruption charges against them. Will it be right to conclude that so far you are not clear how you should deal with them?

MNS: We have no personal grudge with any individual or the group. Being a political party and having faced hardships paying heavy price for the restoration of democracy in the country, our workers are not ready to welcome those who had been supporting the dictator and who had left the party workers in the lurch just for the sake of their personal interests. We never leveled any allegation without proof. Corruption and misuse of funds and powers in the district governments were identified by the unbiased and credible auditors during last year.

Hearings of the mega scam of the Bank of Punjab are still underway. We don’t believe in the hearsay rather their unfortunate and anti-public and undemocratic political decisions, administrative measures all are voicing so high and are self-determinant as what one should opine about them.

H H H January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 23

INTERVIEW

By Salim Bokhari

WE HAVE ACHIEVED

80 PC OF OUR GOALS Despite the fact that a war of words is going on between the PPP and the MQM, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani maintains that the relations between the two coalition partners are cordial.

He says reservations expressed by the MQM will be addressed as per commitment.

In an exclusive interview with Sunday Plus magazine of The Nation, the prime minister parried a question about the allegations levelled by Sindh home minister against the MQM leadership, or whether the government will prosecute the leaders of the junior coalition partner on the basis of those allegations.

Answering a question about the economic difficulties, the prime minister said the international financial crunch, the devastating floods, the damage caused to standing crops and war on terror are the main causes which have had a negative impact on our economic progress.

However, he hopes that the situation will improve as a result of the efforts being made by the government’s economic team.

About the WikiLeaks disclosures, the prime minister said they are not worthy to be discussed at any forum as they lack authenticity. The US authorities have also rejected these, as their policy, the premier said.

Following are the excerpts of the interview:

28 SUNDAY PLUS January 2, 2011

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January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 29

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MY GOVT ENJOYS EXCELLENT TIES WITH WORLD INSTITUTIONS

30 SUNDAY PLUS January 2, 2011

Salim Bokhari: Your party is an unwanted ally of the PML-N in the Punjab government.

The PML-N has repeatedly asked the PPP to quit, but your party is unmoved. What’s the logic behind staying in a setup where, according to Senior Minister Raja Riaz, the PPP has no role in policymaking and can’t claim credit for whatever is being done by the senior partner?

Prime Minister: Pakistan Peoples Party is a federal party having elected representatives in all the provinces as well as AJK and GilgitBaltistan. Our leadership looks at the broader national perspective and overall situation in the country. In accordance with the vision of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, the government is embarked upon the policy of reconciliation and consultation on all issues of national importance. We have been lending support to all political forces of the country in this regard. The major agenda of the government is to create an atmosphere of understanding for the smooth functioning of the governments both at the federal and provincial level. We had joined the coalition government in Punjab with the same spirit. As far as policy making is concerned the leadership of both the PPP and PML (N), have maintained contacts and have consulted each other from time to time on all major issues of the country.

SB: Will you stay in the coalition even when the local elections are held? How will your partnership with the PML-N affect your party’s position in the local elections?

PM: As mentioned earlier the PPP is following the policy of consultation and reconciliation as a national agenda, therefore the local elections would not affect this policy. The PPP is ready to work with all political forces of the country for the greater progress of the country and its aims are not short term. Our basic objective, as per our manifesto is the welfare of the common people.

SB: Your party’s relations with the MQM are also strained. Sindh Home Minister Zulfikar Mirza has consistently been levelling serious allegations against the MQM leadership, including the one about involvement in target killings. Even if these allegations are taken as personal views of Dr Mirza, what’s the justification for the PPP to take the MQM along?

Will you prosecute the MQM leadership on the basis of these allegations? If not, why?

PM: The relations between the two parties as coalition partners are cordial and in my last meeting with the MQM representative delegation there was commonality of views on major national issues. The reservations of

MQM would soon be addressed as per commitment.

SB: MQM leader Altaf Hussain continues to stay in self- imposed exile in London, saying he doesn’t feel secure back home. Why can’t the PPP-led coalition at the centre and in Sindh provide adequate security to the MQM chief? Will you like to urge him to return to Pakistan?

PM: The MQM Quaid is a free citizen and he is free to take his own decisions. The coalition government is already providing necessary security to all the leaders of Pakistan who are under any sort of threat. The request for security from MQM leadership as and when received would be dealt accordingly.

SB: The PPP’s relations with the PML-N can improve if the major irritant – Governor Salman Taseer – is removed. Will you like to give the governor some other job to mend fences with the PML-N? PM: The two major parties of Pakistan, i.e.

PPP and PML (N) constantly consult each other on all important national issues. The statements of leaders are part of the political process and also serve to communicate with the party workers. The political climate in Punjab indicates that we are passing through a transition phase of learning to work in a coalition government.

SB: Although local elections are a provincial subject, can it be expected that there will be a uniform system of local bodies in all federating units as your party is either senior coalition partner or a junior everywhere?

PM: There is very important forum of InterProvincial Coordination Committee the Council of Common Interest which accords opportunity to the federal and provincial governments to develop uniformity of views on any issue. This matter can also be discussed on that level if required and if consensus is derived at then, a uniform system of local governments can be evolved for all the units.

SB: When will the LB polls be held and whether they will be held simultaneously in all provinces?

PM: It is basically a provincial subject and local government elections can be held simultaneously if all the federating units have consensus. The federal government is prepared to extend any help to the provincial governments if ask for it.

SB: How do you feel when foreign countries and agencies say they don’t trust the Pakistan government in financial matters because of corruption and prefer to give aid through the NGOs? Will you take some steps

INTERVIEW

to rebuild the country’s image?

PM: This is totally a wrong perception. The government of Pakistan enjoys excellent working relations with all international institutions.

Certain elements are attempting to damage the government’s image. Help and assistance extended by various countries and the international financial institutions involving various government departments for disbursement of aid to the flood affected people is an example that these perceptions are baseless SB: Rupee has substantially lost its value, power and gas load shedding has led to the closure of many industrial units and several corruption scandals have been reported since the PPP government took over. WikiLeaks cables claim that the government doesn’t take any step without first consulting with the US. Does it not prove that your government has failed on all fronts?

PM: The international financial crunch, the devastating floods, the damage caused to standing crops and war on terror are the main causes which have had a negative impact on our economic progress. However the government’s financial team is working tirelessly to improve the overall economic situation in the country with particular focus to give relief to the down trodden segments of the society.

As far as the WikiLeaks are concerned, these are not worthy to be discussed at any forum as these lack authenticity. The US authorities have also rejected these, as their policy.

SB: Despite all this when your ministers claim that the PPP government has shown an unmatched performance and will retain power by winning the next elections, is it not rather a tall talk?

PM: I usually refer to the manifesto of our party when asked about performance. If one goes through the commitments made in our manifesto, we have accomplished more than 80 percent of the promises made to the people of Pakistan. Besides that if one looks at the national level issues, major achievements like the 7th NFC Award, the 18th Amendment, the 19th Amendment, the Aghaze-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan, and Empowerment Act, various laws and other steps like re-instatement of sacked employees, doubled the salaries of the armeed forces, enhancement of the salary of the government servants and judiciary, and Benazir Income Support Programme to target the most vulnerable segment of the society are reflective of our claims as a reality. The socioeconomic and political developments since March 2008 are before everybody. Besides

POLICY OF RECONCILIATION IS OUR NATIONAL AGENDA the difficulties inherited the Gilgit-Baltistan by the government, a number of challenges cropped up. The government had done every thing possible to maintain a balance between resources and objectives in order to lessen the difficulties of the people.

SB: Benazir Bhutto had identified the elements who could be responsible in case she was killed. They included Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf, former chief ministers Pervaiz Elahi, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Brig (Retd) Ijaz Shah and Gen (Retd) Hameed Gul. But none of them has been arrested so far. Why? Were Ms Bhutto’s allegations/ apprehensions baseless?

PM: The case in sub-Judiced and the court is in the process of fixing the responsibilities. It is better to wait for the verdict.

SB: Through the 18th amendment many vital powers of the president were transferred to the Prime Minister and parliament, but the fact is that President Zardari is still calling the shots and you as Prime Minister have to follow the instructions of the President. If the President was to exercise all powers, what was the need for enacting the 18th amendment?

PM: This is again an attempt by certain elements to create to misperceptions. I as prime minister have excellent working relations with the president as defined in the Constitution.

The government does seek opinion on certain

matters from the Central Executive Committee of the party and benefit from the same to an extent needed for preparing policies. All the decisions are made in consultation and if one goes through the decisions taken in administrative or legislative matters, these have been implemented by respective executive organs. Due advice by the prime minister in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution is extended as and when required.

SB: Your government has not taken any step for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

Why? PM: The Kashmir issue was raised with the Indian Prime Minister during our meeting in Sharm el Sheikh and later in Thimphu on the sidelines of WEF and SAARC. The government had raised the Kashmiri issue on every international forum and extended complete moral and diplomatic support for the just cause of the Kashmiri people. In my meetings with international leaders and delegations, I have been apprising them of the atrocities being committed in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The Kashmiri leadership have not only appreciated our support but expressed confidence on our commitments.

Most recently in the Azad Jammu & Kashmir Council meeting, we have decided to celebrate 2011 as the year of self-determination of the people of Kashmir to express our complete solidarity for their cause.

SB: Your critics say that Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran are not as warm as they used to be in the past. How will you negate the impression?

PM: This impression is misplaced as Pakistan attaches high importance to its relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran as brotherly Islamic countries.

Saudi Arabia was the first country that I visited after taking over as Prime Minister and had excellent meeting with King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz. Secondly, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the first head of state of any country to visit Pakistan after the present government came into power.

Pakistan enjoys excellent relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran and the recent assistance for the flood affected people both by Saudi Arabia and Iran is a manifestation of this fact. The exchange of high level delegations between the two countries is frequent.

Pakistan is keen to further develop the close fraternal and traditional ties with both the countries.

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TRAVEL

SHOWCASING

PAKISTAN

Pakistan is a special interest destination. Its main attractions include adventure tourism in the Northern Areas, cultural and archaeological tourism as found at Taxila, Moenjodaro, Harappa and Swat and early Muslim and Mughal heritage of Multan, Lahore, Thatta and Peshawar.

36 SUNDAY PLUS January 2, 2011

TRAVEL

January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 37

TRAVEL Mausoleum of Shah Rukan-e-Alam Multan

F

Kalash girl

rom the mighty Karakorams in the North to the vast alluvial delta of the Indus river in the South, Pakistan remains a land of high adventure and nature. Trekking, mountaineering, white water rafting, wild boar hunting, mountain and desert jeep, Camel and Yak safaris, trout fishing and bird watching, are a few activities which entice the adventure and nature lovers to Pakistan.

Gilgit-Baltistan: The Northern Highlands of Pakistan, called as Gilgit-Baltistan, spread over 72,496 sq. km are as fascinating as its southern region.

Amidst towering snow-clad peaks with heights varying from 1,000 m to 8, 000 meters, the regions of Gilgit, Hunza and Baltistan recall Shangri-La. The cultural patterns of these regions are as interesting as its geography. The people with typical costumes, folk dances, music and sports like polo and buzkashi, provide the traveller an unforgettable experience. Nowhere is the world is such a great concentration of high mountains, peaks, glaciers and passes except Pakistan. Of the 14 over 8,000 meters high peaks on earth, 04 occupy an amphitheater at the head of Baltoro glacier in the Karakoram range. These are; K-2 (8,611 m, world’s second highest), Gasherbrum-I (8,068 m), Broad Peak (8,047 m) and Gasherbrum-II (8,035 m). There is yet another which is equally great, Nanga Parbat 38 SUNDAY PLUS January 2, 2011

Truck on KKH

(8,126 m), located at the western most end of the Himalayas. In addition to that, there are 68 peaks over 7,000 m and hundreds others over 6,000 meters. The Northern Pakistan has some of the longest glaciers outside Polar region; Siachen (72 km), Hispar (61 km), Biafo (60 km), Baltoro (60 km) and Batura (64 km).

The Silk Route For centuries, the Silk Route remained the main trading route between the South Asia and the Central Asia. After the construction of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in 1982 along the same alignment, joining Pakistan with Chinese Muslim autonomous region of Xinjiang, the ancient trade link has been revived. The KKH has provided a great opportunity for international travellers to explore the un-spoilt natural beauty, unique culture and ancient traditions of the Northern Pakistan together with the other Silk Road countries like China, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Bhodhisatva Taxila Museum

Indus Valley Civilization: The Indus Valley Civilization was at its peak from the 3rd till the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. Discovered in 1922, Moenjodaro (in Sindh province) was once a metropolis of great importance, forming part of the Indus Valley Civilization with Harappa (discovered in 1923 in the southern Punjab), Kot Diji (Sindh) and recently discovered Mehr Garh (Balochistan). Moenjodaro is considered as one of the most spectacular ancient cities of the World. It had mud and baked bricks’ buildings, an elaborate covered drainage system, a large state granary, a spacious pillared hall, a College of Priests, a palace and a citadel. Harappa, another major city of the Indus Valley Civilization, was surrounded by a massive brick wall fortification. Other features and plan of the city were similar to that of Moenjodaro. The Kot Diji culture is marked by well-made pottery and houses built of mud-bricks and stone foundations.

Mehr Garh, the oldest Civilization (7,000 B.C), remains of which were found in the

TRAVEL

The lush green valley of Swat, has a rich historical past. This is “Udyana” (the garden) of ancient Hindi epics; the land of enthralling beauty, where Alexander of Mecedonia fought and won some of his major battles. district Kachhi of Balochistan recently, was the pioneer of the Indus Valley Civilization.

The evidence of crop cultivation, animal husbandry and human settlements have been found here. The inhabitant of Mehr Garh were living in mud-brick houses and learned to make pottery around 6,000 B.C.

Gandhara Civilization: Gandhara region had once been the hallowed centre of Buddhism, the cradle of the world famous Gandhara sculpture, culture, art and learning. The archaeological remains found in Taxila, Peshawar, Charsadda, Takht Bhai, Swat and rock carvings along the ancient Silk Road (KKH) have well recorded the history of Gandhara. Lying in Haro river valley near Islamabad, Taxila, the main centre of Gandhara, is over 3,000 years old. Taxila has attracted the attention of the great conqueror, Alexander in 327 B.C., when it was a province of the powerful Achaemenian Empire. It later came under the Maurian dynasty and reached a remarkable matured level of development under the great Ashoka.

Then appeared the Indo-Greek descendants of Alexander’s warriors and finally came the most creative period of Gandhara. The Kushan dynasty was established in about 50 AD. During the next 200 years, Taxila, Peshawar and Swat became a renowned centre of learning philosophy, art and trade.

Pilgrims and travellers were attracted to Gandhara from as far as China and Greece. In 5th century AD, the White Huns snuffed out the last of the successive civilizations that

held unbroken sway in this region for several centuries.

Mughal & Early Muslim Heritage: Pakistan is a treasure-house of Muslim architecture. Lahore, the cultural hub of Pakistan, is situated along the bank of Ravi river. The city has witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties like Ghaznavis (10211186 AD), Ghoris (1186-1202 AD) and Slaves (1206-1524 AD) before arrival of the Mughals. The city was conquered by Babur of Ferghana (situated in Uzbekistan), the founder of the Mughal dynasty (1524-1764 AD). All the important monuments like the Royal Fort and the Mosque, Wazir Khan’s Mosque, Tombs of Jehangir, Asaf Khan, Noor Jehan and the Shalimar Gardens, Hiran Minar etc., were constructed during this period.

On the other hand, the shrines, mosques and forts located in and around Multan and Bahawalpur are the master pieces of the early Muslim architecture. Some important buildings are; Forts at Multan and Derawar (Bahawalpur), shrines of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, Shah Rukan-e-Alam, Hazrat Shams Tabrez at Multan and Tomb of Bibi Jiwandi at Uchh Sharif near Bahawalpur. The tombs at Chaukundi, 27 km out of Karachi, the remains at Banbhore (64 km from Karachi) and the necropolis of a million graves scattered over an area of 10 sq. km on Makli Hills near Thatta together with the Shahjehan Mosque of Thatta, are exquisite specimens of Muslim architecture, stone carving and glazed tile decorations.

Indus River near Skardu

Himalaya and the Hindukush The Murree Hills and the Gallies, 55 kms from Islamabad, at an altitude of 2,286 meters are the most popular summer resorts in Pakistan.

With a perfect Himalayan atmosphere and equipped with all modern facilities like good communication network, resort hotels, golf course and chair-lift/cable cars, Murree & Gallies are a wonderful retreat from the hot weather of the plains in summer. A holiday in Kaghan Valley, the Himalayan hide-away in the North-west-Frontier Province, is an un forgettable experience. Its peaks, dales, lakes, water-falls, streams and glaciers are still in an unbelievable pristine state. The valley extends for 155 kms rising from an elevation of 2,134 meters to its highest point, the Babusar Pass, at 4,173 meters. The lush green valley of Swat, has a rich historical past. This is “Udyana” (the garden) of ancient Hindi epics; the land of enthralling beauty, where Alexander of Mecedonia fought and won some of his major battles. This is the “valley of the hanging chains” as described by famous Chinese pilgrims, Huan Tsang and Fa-Hian in the 5th and 6th century. Chitral valley is studded in the Hindukush mountains like a crown. With its high mountains, green valleys and unique culture, Chitral has attracted mountaineers, trekkers, naturalists and anthropologists alike.

One of the major attractions of Chitral are the Kalash valleys - the home of the Kafir-Kalash or “wearers of the black robes” a primitive pagan tribe.

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MOVIES

2010 IN HOLLYWOOD

HITS MISSES T &

aying bye to the year 2010 lets peer our eyes toward the inevitable blockbuster success of 2011’s sequels and spin-offs, including Spider-Man 4, Captain America, Thor, Transformers 3, and The Hangover 2, it’s time to take a look back at the top ten films of the year. The first year of the new decade started out slowly, and it wasn’t until March that we had our first $100 million movie, Matt Damon’s Green Zone, which barely cracked the mark with $110 million, outshining Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, which failed to capture audiences in large numbers, grossing a mere $77 million.

Things began to pick up quickly later that month, with the critical disappointment Clash of the Titans, which nevertheless racked up a decent $127 million. Other films that reached the $100 million mark, but didn’t make quite enough to break the top ten? Predators ($127 million), Red Dawn ($75 million and counting — it’s in its second week), Tron Legacy ($133 million and counting), Dinner for Schmucks ($120 million) and Seth Rogen’s recently released Green Hornet, which looks to hit the $100 million mark, but barely.

Indeed, the 2010 box office was once again characterized by sequels — six of the top ten movies were sequels, while one was a remake of a beloved ’80s television show. Let’s get to the numbers — here are the top ten films of 2010:

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1

2

IRON MAN 2 ($356 MILLION)

TOY STORY 3 ($341 MILLION)

Seven months after its release and most of us are still on a collective high. How awesome was this movie? Robert Downey, Jr. delivered as only he can; Don Cheadle made us completely forget about Terrence Howard; Sam Rockwell finally (finally) catapulted himself onto the A-list; Mickey Rourke was deliciously loathsome; and for a few minutes, at least, we forgot why we hated Scarlet Johansson.

Oh, and remember that thing with the thing?. Jon Favreau killed, perfectly finding the right balance between creating the perfect sequel and setting it up for the eventual Avengers movie. You really just can’t say enough about how good Iron Man 2 was, and like The Dark Knight back in 2008 (and unlike Revenge of the Fallen in 2009), the box-office champion of 2010 actually feels deserved.

Pixar’s latest, the third in the Toy Story franchise, was exactly what we’d all expected: A brilliant, absolutely delightful animated movie that raised our spirits and even stole our hearts briefly. What else is there to say about Pixar? The studio did it again, finally topping Finding Nemo for the biggest Pixar hit to date, but unfortunately falling short of Shrek 2’s $440 million gross, still the highest for any computer animated movie.

MOVIES

BEST ACTRESSES 1.

2.

Emma Stone Easy A

Zoe Saldana The Losers

3

3.

4.

Gemma Arterton Prince of Persia

Milla Jovovich Resident Evil: Afterlife

4

5.

Angelina Jolie Salt

6.

Mila Kunis The Book of Eli

7.

Amanda Seyfried Dear John

5

8.

Lizzy Caplan Hot Tub Time Machine

9.

Jessica Biel The A-Team

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HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY ($356 MILLION)

TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE ($280 MILLION)

KNIGHT AND DAY ($227 MILLION)

FOCKERS ($220 MILLION)

Audiences continued to turn out for the 7th movie in the Harry Potter franchise, in large part because they’d already seen six of them and felt obligated to finish out the series. Deathly Hallows was proficient, but felt like what it was: A bridge toward the final movie. If they keep making these movies as unmemorable as they are, however, audiences are going to completely forget what it was they loved about the books so much in the first place. In addition to that, the final movie is going to need a “previously on” prologue, which will effectively render Deathly Hallows Part I completely moot.

Terrible movie, so bad — in fact — that even the Twihards showed a few signs of weariness (not enough to prevent them from seeing it, but enough to keep them from seeing it five times). It became apparent why Summit wanted to push Eclipse up, only 8 months after the release of New Moon: There does seem to be an expiration date for the franchise, and the studio wants to birth all four movies before that date arrives. Eclipse was in line with New Moon boxoffice wise, but only because of a massive opening weekend ($98 million), after which it began to fade behind the rest of the summer’s blockbusters.

Tom Cruise solidified his comeback over the summer with his action comedy hybrid, Knight and Day, which — for two hours — reminded us of why we liked him at some point in his career. Cruise also wisely navigated the publicity circuit for Knight and Day by keeping his appearances mute and to a minimum, letting his movie speak for itself. It wasn’t what I’d call a masterpiece, but Knight and Day nevertheless epitomized what summer blockbusters should be about: Exhilarating escapist entertainment. It doesn’t have to be wildly intelligent, just not dumb and predictable. Knight and Day succeeded in that regard, and put Cruise back firmly on the A-list once again.

The third movie in the Fockers franchise revisited familiar0 ground — Ben Stiller’s selfabuse, sophomoric humor, and the further humiliation of Dustin Hoffman, Robert DeNiro and, now, Harvey Keitel, who got in on the pay checks that were handed out at the set, no acting required. No one thought it possible, but Little Fockers managed to be even worse than Meet the Fockers, but that certainly didn’t dissuade audiences from turning out in droves.

January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 43

MOVIES

BEST ACTORS 1.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Inception

2.

Leonardo DiCaprio Inception and Shutter Island

3.

Sharlto Copley The A-Team

7

4.

Jeremy Renner The Town

5.

Karl Urban Red

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Jesse Eisenberg The Social Network

7.

Ethan Hawke Daybreakers

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8.

Denzel Washington The Book of Eli

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SALT ($212 MILLION)

LITTLE 8. INCEPTION ($190 MILLION)

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA ($185 MILLION)

LITTLE 8. INCEPTION ($190 MILLION)

Phillip Noyce’s spy thriller was as generic a summer blockbuster as they come, but for one saving grace:. Salt demonstrated exactly what it is about Jolie that’s appealing, an elusive quality that rarely shows up in her more serious films. Strap her in leather pair of boots, and have her shit-kick her way through a subway train of baddies, however, and you get yourself not only a huge blockbuster success, but the sexual experience of the summer movie season.

Christopher Nolan’s July release, Inception, was something of a sleeper hit, if you could call a sci-fi action movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio directed by the director of the second biggest movie of all time a sleeper.

Inception had only a modest $40 million opening, but was rooted in the top five for most of the latter half of the summer, steadily chugging along and picking up word-of-mouth audiences. That word of mouth, however, mostly revolved around what the hell Inception was about. Even having seen the entire film, most people still only have a vague idea of the story of Inception, but everyone has been wowed by how cool it was to watch.

Better still, despite the success of Inception; it’s been the rare summer blockbuster that’s managed to avoid massive hype.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ($185 million): Though the much troubled third movie in the Narnia franchise outperformed the second movie, thanks in large part to a massive marketing effort and a more obvious religious message (which brought out the church audience), The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was ultimately as empty and forgettable as Prince Caspian.

It was well directed (by Michael Apted), but lifeless. It did have the advantage of a relatively lackluster December slate to compete with, especially compared to the massive December of 2009.

Christopher Nolan’s July release, Inception, was something of a sleeper hit, if you could call a sci-fi action movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio directed by the director of the second biggest movie of all time a sleeper.

Inception had only a modest $40 million opening, but was rooted in the top five for most of the latter half of the summer, steadily chugging along and picking up word-of-mouth audiences. That word of mouth, however, mostly revolved around what the hell Inception was about. Even having seen the entire film, most people still only have a vague idea of the story of Inception, but everyone has been wowed by how cool it was to watch.

Better still, despite the success of Inception; it’s been the rare summer blockbuster that’s managed to avoid massive hype.

The National Board of Review’s Top 11 films of 2010, in alphabetical order......

1. Another Year 2. The Fighter 3. Hereafter 44 SUDAY PLUS

January 1, 2011

4. Inception 5. The King’s Speech 6. Shutter Island

7. The Social Network 8. The Town 9. Toy Story 3

10. True Grit 11. Winter’s Bone

9.

Jason Statham The Expendables

BOOK REVIEW MADIHA SYEDAIN

2010BEST SELLERS 02

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THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST

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DECISION POINTS

THE HELP

STRENGTHEN FINDER 2.0

AUTHOR: AUTHOR: Stieg Larsson, Reg Keeland Stieg Larsson, Reg Keeland

AUTHOR: George W Bush

AUTHOR: Kathryn Stockett

AUTHOR: Tom Rath and Barry Conchie

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Salander is plotting her revenge - against the man who tried to kill her, and against the government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. But it is not going to be a straightforward campaign. After taking a bullet to the head, Salander is under close supervision in Intensive Care, and is set to face trial for three murders and one attempted murder on her eventual release.

With the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his researchers at Millennium magazine, Salander must not only prove her innocence, but identify and denounce the corrupt politicians that have allowed the vulnerable to become victims of abuse and violence. Once a victim herself, Salander is now ready to fight back.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an international best seller and is set in Sweden. It takes a little effort to get accustomed to all the Swedish names and places but then the story moves with lightening speed. There are two key plots happening simultaneously. In one, a Swedish financial investigative journalist publishes a libelous attack about a powerful industrialist and is sentenced to jail, fined a ruinous sum, and has his career torn to shreds. Another industrialist, Vanger, hires the journalist to investigate the 36 year old disappearance of his then 14 year old grand niece.

What the journalist uncovers about the Vanger family’s hitherto unknown secrets and connections to the Nazis, will have you hanging on the edge of your seat

In this candid and gripping account, President George W. Bush describes the critical decisions that shaped his presidency and personal life. George W. Bush served as president of the United States during eight of the most consequential years in American history. The decisions that reached his desk impacted people around the world and defined the times in which we live.

Decision Points brings readers inside the Texas governor’s mansion on the night of the 2000 election, aboard Air Force One during the harrowing hours after the attacks of September 11, 2001, into the Situation Room moments before the start of the war in Iraq, and behind the scenes at the White House for many other historic presidential decisions.

The novel is set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who’s raised 17 children, and Aibileen’s best friend Minny, who’s found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community.

Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day? Chances are, you don’t.

All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.

To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in 2001 which ignited a global conversation and helped millions to discover their top five talents.

In its latest national bestseller, StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more.

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THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

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BOOK REVIEW

The year 2010 proved to be an era of best sellers for both fiction an

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THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (VINTAGE)

DIARY OF WIMPY KID: THE UGLY TRUTH

MOCKINGJAY (THE FINAL BOOK OF THE HUNGER

WOMEN FOOD AND GOD: AN UNEXPECTED

PUBLICATION MANUAL OF THE

AUTHOR: Stieg Larsson

AUTHOR: Jeff Kinney

AUTHOR: George W Bush

AUTHOR: Geneen Roth

AUTHOR: American Psychological

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It is the second volume in the late Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy, publisher Mikael Blomkvist and the police are conducting parallel investigations into three horrifying murders -- and their initial evidence points straight at young computer genius and social misfit Lisbeth Salander.

Kalle Bastard Blomkvist (as Salander has begun referring to him) hasn’t seen Salander in nearly two years, except for one night when he happened to witness a huge man attempting to kidnap her and both she and the attacker eluded him.

He’s bewildered about why she cut him off cold, but had accepted her decision -- until now. He doesn’t believe Salander killed these victims. Salander, as usual, has her own ideas about who she’ll see and when....

Greg Heffley has always been in a hurry to grow up.

But is getting older really all it’s cracked up to be?

Greg suddenly finds himself dealing with the pressures of boy-girl parties, increased responsibilities, and even the awkward changes that come with getting older—all without his best friend, Rowley, at his side. Can Greg make it through on his own?

Or will he have to face the “ugly truth”?

Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day? Chances are, you don’t.

All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.

To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in 2001 which ignited a global conversation and helped millions to discover their top five talents.

In its latest national bestseller, StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more.

ANo matter how sophisticated or wealthy or broke or enlightened you are, how you eat tells all. If you suffer about your relationship with food -- you eat too much or too little, think about what you will eat constantly or try not to think about it at all -- you can be free. Just look down at your plate. The answers are there. Don’t run. Look. Because when we welcome what we most want to avoid, we contact the part of ourselves that is fresh and alive. We touch the life we truly want and evoke divinity itself.

Geneen Roth has written about her discoveries in When Food Is Love, her first New York Times bestseller.

She gave huge numbers of women their first insights into compulsive eating and she changed huge numbers of lives for the better.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association” is the style manual of choice for writers, editors, students, and educators in the social and behavioural sciences. It provides invaluable guidance on all aspects of the writing process, from the ethics of authorship to the word choice that best reduces bias in language. Wellknown for its authoritative and easy-to-use reference and citation system, the Publication Manual also offers guidance on choosing the headings, tables, figures, and tone that will result in strong, simple, and elegant scientific communication.

The sixth edition offers new and expanded instruction on publication ethics, statistics, journal article reporting standards and electronic reference formats.

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d non fiction genres on the international front. Check out the top ten books of 2010:

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January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 47

BOOK REVIEW MADIHA SYEDAIN

BEST SELLERS PAKISTAN, 2010 A JOURNEY Author: Tony Blair Price: Rs 1495

DECISION POINTS Author: George W. Bush Price: Rs 1495

PATH FINDERS Author: Jim al-Khalili Price: Rs 1195

THE LOST SYMBOL Author: Dan Brown Price: Rs 495

THE UGLY TRUTH: DIARY OF A WIMPY KID Author: Jeff Kinney Price: Rs 745

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In 1997, Tony Blair won the biggest Labour victory in history to sweep the party to power and end eighteen years of Conservative government. He has been one of the most dynamic leaders of modern times; few British prime ministers have shaped the nation’s course as profoundly as Blair during his ten years in power, and his achievements and his legacy will be debated for years to come. Now, his memoirs reveal in intimate detail this unique political and personal journey, providing an insight into the man, the politician and the statesman, and charting successes, controversies and disappointments with an extraordinary candour.

In this candid and gripping account, President George W. Bush describes the critical decisions that shaped his presidency and personal life. George W. Bush served as president of the United States during eight of the most consequential years in American history. The decisions that reached his desk impacted people around the world and defined the times in which we live.

Decision Points brings readers inside the Texas governor’s mansion on the night of the 2000 election, aboard Air Force One during the harrowing hours after the attacks of September 11, 2001, into the Situation Room moments before the start of the war in Iraq, and behind the scenes at the White House for many other historic presidential decisions.

For over 700 years the international language of science was Arabic. This book celebrates the forgotten pioneers who helped shape our understanding of the world. In this compelling, inspiring book, Jim al-Khalili celebrates the accomplishments of the medieval Islamic pioneers of science, and the debt owed to them by later European scholars.

Firstly, it should be noted that The Lost Symbol has incorporated all the elements that so transfixed readers in The Da Vinci Code: a complex, mystifying plot (with the reader set quite as many challenges as the protagonist); breathless, helter-skelter pace (James Patterson’s patented technique of keeping readers hooked by ending chapters with a tantalisingly unresolved situation is very much part of Dan Brown’s armoury).

And, of course, the winning central character, resourceful symbologist Robert Langdon, is back, risking his life to crack a dangerous mystery involving the Freemasons (replacing the controversial trappings of the Catholic Church and homicidal monks of the last book).

In this urgent new book, Noam Chomsky surveys the dangers and prospects of our early twenty-first century. Exploring challenges such as the growing gap between North and South, American exceptionalism (including under President Barack Obama), the fiascos of Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S.-Israeli assault on Gaza, and the recent financial bailouts, he also sees hope for the future and a way to move forward—in the democratic wave in Latin America and in the global solidarity movements that suggest “real progress toward freedom and justice.”

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BOOK REVIEW

Check out some of the prom KITCHEN: RECIPES FROM THE HEART OF THE HOME Author: Nigella Lawson Price: Rs 1745

HOPES AND PROSPECTS Author: Noam Chomsky Price: Rs 1495

PAKISTAN: TERRORISM GROUND ZEROD Author: Rohan Gunaratna Price: Rs 1245

SONGS OF BLOOD & SWORD: A DAUGHTER’S MEMOIR Author: Fatima Bhutto Price: Rs 1295

SYNOPSIS:

SYNOPSIS:

SYNOPSIS:

SYNOPSIS:

SYNOPSIS:

Julian Treslove, a professionally unspectacular former BBC radio producer, and Sam Finkler, a popular Jewish philosopher, writer, and television personality, are old school friends.

Despite a prickly relationship and very different lives, they’ve never lost touch with each other, or with their former teacher, Libor Sevcik. Dining together one night at Sevcik’s apartment—the two Jewish widowers and the unmarried Gentile, Treslove—the men share a sweetly painful evening, reminiscing on a time before they had loved and lost, before they had prized anything greatly enough to fear the loss of it. Treslove is attacked.

Treslove is convinced the crime was a misdirected act.

Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home is Nigella’s first book since seasonal bestseller, Nigella Christmas, was published in 2008. In true Nigella style, Kitchen is about the food we eat now, the way we eat and live today; feel-good food from the most important room in the house.

A big, compendious, comfortable, informative and utterly engaging book, “Kitchen” brings us feel-good food for cooks and eaters, whether Express-style and exoticeasy during the week, or leisurely and luxuriating at weekends or for occasions.

Divided into two parts Kitchen Quandaries and Kitchen Comforts - Nigella gives us the wherewithal to tackle any situation and satisfy all nourishment needs.

In this urgent new book, Noam Chomsky surveys the dangers and prospects of our early twenty-first century. Exploring challenges such as the growing gap between North and South, American exceptionalism (including under President Barack Obama), the fiascos of Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S.-Israeli assault on Gaza, and the recent financial bailouts, he also sees hope for the future and a way to move forward—in the democratic wave in Latin America and in the global solidarity movements that suggest “real progress toward freedom and justice.”

After the US-led coalition targeted terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan, al Qaeda, the Taliban and two dozen other such organizations relocated to the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) of Pakistan. This remote, inhospitable region has become the sanctuary for, and headquarters of, the al Qaeda-led global jihad movement. From this base al Qaeda and its associated cells have planned, prepared and executed numerous terrorist attacks around the world. The epicentre of international terrorism, Pakistan is the keystone in the international fight against terrorism today.

Pakistan: Terrorism Ground Zero is the first detailed analysis of the myriad insurgent groups working in Pakistan.

The tense first chapter of this moving memoir ends with the announcement, “Your father’s been shot.”

Fatima was 14 in 1996 when her beloved father, Mir Murtazi Bhutto, was murdered by police in Karachi. Her grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan, was executed in 1979. One aunt was murdered in 1985, and another aunt, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated in 2007. Was Benazir involved in the murder of Fatima’s father? With the account of her dynastic family and their bloody battles, Bhutto weaves in the politics of Pakistan and its foreign relations, including those with the U.S., the Middle East, and China.

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inent literary successes of 2010

THE FINKLER QUESTION Author: Howard Jacobson Price: Rs 945

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UNCOVERED Ashraf Javed

ctions a f d n ts a er. gmen e s ch oth s a u e o i r g o i ef rel erent ferenc e ff i d D . d y n it ct a major respe m i l l a s u u t eM mu th larg ng signs of i w y r nt wi ic cou ly sho s m u a l o s i I n o an tan is g harm n i t i x Pakis e een co b e v a h

P

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akistan is an Islamic country with large Muslim majority. Different religious segments and factions have been co-exiting harmoniously showing signs of mutual respect and deference for each other. Religious tolerance and sectarian broadmindedness as envisaged by teachings of Sufism have remained the hallmark of Pakistani society. Unfortunately hostile foreign elements have enlisted the general pattern of sectarian divide (Shia–Sunni, Brelvi–Deobandi, Brelvi–Deobandi-Ahle Hadith and others) as one of the Pakistani vulnerabilities. Shia-Sunni riots were initiated by anti Pakistan element using religious gimmicks including target killing of religious leaders. Presently religious shrines are being targeted to ignite emotions of people.

The aim is to widen the sectarian divide among peaceful factions.

Hostile elements have always tried to create differences between Sunni and Shia communities to create unrest in country. Target killing of prominent religious leaders like Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat Ameer Maulana Muhammad Amin in Karachi and bomb blasts and suicide attacks in religious processions are few examples in this regard.

Government should take steps to deal with hostile elements to disrupt their heinous plans. Moreover, religious leaders of different factions should play more effective role to counter this menace. There is also need to create awareness amongst general public against the interests of hostile elements.

Indian involvement in Balochistan and Karachi continues unabated. Subversive activities like target killings, kidnappings, attacks on government buildings,

UNCOVERED

oil pipelines and other vital installations etc have increased manifold indicating close connectivity of RAW. Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) gets logistic support including weapons, training and financial support from India. India has issued Indian passports and visas to Baloch separatists and is providing facilities to BLA to operate from Indian as well as Afghan soils and conduct anti-Pakistan activities. Similarly another RAW and MOSSAD supported separatist group Jundullah is also active to spoil relations of Pakistan with China and Iran. India has always chosen to provide financial support to rogue elements of Balochistan.

India and Israel with tacit support of US have jointly supported Baloch rebel leaders for storming terrorism in Pakistan and to declare Pakhtun region as Al-Qaeda dominated area. Balochistan province is abundant in natural resources but it could not make progress due to wrong policies and negligence of successive regimes.

Hostile elements are taking advantage of deprivation and hostility infested amongst locals to destabilize Pakistan. The government should have a coherent strategy to engage Baloch people in political dialogue, especially the radical elements. Delay in addressing core issues will further deepen the Balochistan crisis.

There are reports that Indian intelligence agencies are involved in target killing in Balochistan. In the recent past, the Indian involvement has been proved in the killing of BNP (M) leaders Habib Jalib Baloch &

Liaquat Marri. The aim of such Indian gruesome acts of terrorism was to destabilize Balochistan.

Not enough, the Security agencies had unearthed the involvement of foreign hand in spreading hatred in Balochistan province as well as to poison the minds of innocent Baloch youth against the non-Balochis, particularly the educationists.

According to a classified document sent to the Interior Ministry, ‘the hostile intelligence agencies are involved in destroying education system of Balochistan. After suicide bombing and terrorist attacks, they are targeting teachers and renowned educationists. Almost 80 per cent of the teaching staff in Balochistan belongs to Punjab, Sindh and Khyber PK provinces and hostile elements are threatening their lives to force them to relocate to other places.’

The report further revealed that Indian spy agency supplied hate literature in Balochi language to all schools and colleges run in Baloch inhabited areas like Khuzdar, Turbat, Gwadar, Dera Bugti, Sui, Kahan to inculcate hatred against Punjab and Army.

Teachers are scared and fleeing from Balochistan due to target killing, which will have a negative impact on the education system of province, already less developed.

The Baloch students were cultivated through BSO hardliners by Indian RAW, taken to Kabul for indoctrination, given Afghan passports and trained in

The Security agencies had unearthed the involvement of foreign hand in spreading hatred in Balochistan province as well as to poison the minds of innocent Baloch youth against the non-Balochis, particularly the educationists.

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art of guerrilla warfare.

India opened up Balochistan specific three consulates in Zahidan, Bandar Abbas and Ashkabad in Iran and established refugee camps for Balochistan dissidents in Kandahar, Spin Boldak, Helmand and Nimroz’, the report added.

Sources disclosed that India under the garb of friendship launched cultural invasion from the east and covert operations from Afghan soils to encircle and harm Pakistan.

The construction of road linking Chahbahar Port in Iran with Afghanistan was part of the encirclement plan and also meant to secretly ship in explosives, arms and ammunition from India under the pretext of construction material.

The Spin Boldak has become hub of antiPakistan activities and used as launching pad for Balochistan by Indian operatives to supply funds, arms and explosives to Baloch rebels. The report further revealed that Indian-run training centres in Kabul, Jalalabad, Khwaja Ghar (Takher Province), Khost, Paktia, Urgun, Khandar, Spin Boldak, Dranj (Badakhshan Province) where it’s military personnel in collaboration with RAW have been imparting training to the innocent Balochs against Pakistan.

Dr Ahsan Akhtar Naz, Director Mass Communication Dept PU, when contacted, said that assassination of innocent people is forbidden in Islam as the Holy Quran says, ‘Killing of a human being is equal to killing the entire human race’, he added.

Violence broke out in Karachi, the port City and the financial hub of Pakistan a couple of months back during a by-election for a provincial assembly seat that was held by local MQM politician Raza Haider, who was murdered in August this year.

More than 100 people, mostly civilians, had been gunned down and dozens others injured in the targeted attacks sponsored by foreign hostile agencies.

Most of the victims either were poor passersby, labourers, and daily wagers, who were sprayed with bullets when they were taking tea at roadside tea-stall after day long hectic labour and during the work break, or passengers travelling to their homes 54 SUNDAY PLUS January 2, 2011

Not enough, the Security agencies had unearthed the involvement of foreign hand in spreading hatred in Balochistan province as well as to poison the minds of innocent Baloch youth against the non-Balochis, particularly the educationists. to see their children with some edibles (toffees, chocolates) in their hands as gunmen ambush public transports, road side hotels, and other public places to settle political scores with their rival politicians. Among with dead are also children and old men and the incidents are said to be ethnic clashes in the country, created in the name of religion decades ago.

In several cases, the police recovered the sackpacked dead bodies lying alongside the road, which indicates that the victims were abducted, gunned down and later throw on the footpaths. Several bodies that were beyond recognition are still lying in the morgue, as they were brutally tortured to death.

Under this scenario, well-dressed politicians are reaching the offices of TV Channels with the sunset to play the point-scoring game while accusing their opponents of corruption, both moral and financial and portraying their own leaders like great saints of the old sub-continent.

The biggest cabinet in the world democracies if Ministers, State Ministers, Advisors, parliamentary secretaries and Chairmen of standing committees are included, are holding official meetings in the well-furnished air-conditioned rooms with personals matters like posting/transfers in the public sector as top items on their agenda. These democratically elected representatives are pressing

the Finance Ministry for bulletproof vehicles for their safety when the IMF is unwilling to inject more dollars in the fragile economy, fearing bankruptcy.

The Opposition is counting the days of the rulers while the prices of edibles are swelling like incurable disease. The private sector has accelerated downsizing.

The ‘dog-fighting’ in and outside the parliament is attracting fewer spectators while the military is striving hard to solve the internal and external threats. The US-led NATO forces are pressing the government for another military operation in the North Waziristan. The government is hesitant to launch another operation as Taliban took the war to the rest of the country, bombed the markets, hotels, government installations, worship places, and important buildings after the government sent troops to kill them in the past. The Higher Education Commission has slashed funds worth billions of rupees to meet other urgent needs, putting the education in universities at risk.

In a clear evidence of foreign hand involvement in the Data Darbar attacks and other major bombing in the recent past in Pakistan, talks intercepted by security agencies revealed that Afghanistanbased Indian sponsored terrorists targeted the Shrine of Hazrat Ali Usman Hajveri, leaving more than 50 people dead and injuring over 100 others.

The security agencies had also captured a militant leader of a banned outfit after tracking his phone calls and scanning his mysterious activities for some hours. The arrested militant identified as Qari Ibrahim Zulfi who had infiltrated from Afghanistan confessed to the investigators that India is providing financial assistance and weapons to their network for suicide attacks inside Pakistan.

Sources revealed that the aim to target Data Darbar was to depict upsurge in terrorist activities in Pakistan, exploit ethnic and sectarian divide, create law and order situation, increase unrest among the people, blame local government and encourage anti Pakistan elements to undertake new initiatives to harm Pakistan.

Interestingly, the violence with regard to targeting shrines and rival sects had started in Iraq after it was occupied by the US forces.

Thousands of people have died in such violence. However, Muslims in Pakistan have always been living together and they have in the past foiled such conspiracies to foment sectarian violence.

Meanwhile, people should also promote unity at the neighbourhood level and should be careful of hostile elements. The government should adopt a policy to curb the militants and challenge the groups that seek to promote sectarian polarization in Pakistani society.

H H H

MUSIC

TERROR, RECESSION

ROCKS MUSIC INDUSTRY

I

TOP 10 SONGS

YEAR-END MOST POPULAR SONGS ACROSS ALL GENRES… 1. TIK TOK (Ke$ha, Animal) 2. NEED YOU NOW (Lady Antebellum, Need You Now) 3. HEY, SOUL SISTER (Train, Save Me, San Francisco) 4. CALIFORNIA GURLS (Katy Perry Featuring Snoop Dogg, Teenage Dream) 5. OMG (Usher Featuring will.i.am, Raymond V. Raymond) 6. AIRPLANES (B.o.B Featuring Hayley Williams, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray) 7. LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE (Eminem Featuring Rihanna, Recovery) 8. BAD ROMANCE (Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster) 9. DYNAMITE (Taio Cruz, The Rokstarr Collection) 10. BREAK YOUR HEART (Taio Cruz Featuring Ludacris, Rokstarr)

Sadaf Pervez

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t was not one of the promising years for Pakistan musicians and singers.

Not a single hit album has been released this year. The singers licked their luck with solo songs with probable uncertain chances to amuse their fans. Some of the songs that showed the existence of the music industry were Annie - Kiya Yehi Pyar Hai, Atif Aslam and Strings - Ab Khud hi Kuch Karna, Khiza feat Abrar Ul Haq - Hogya Ni Pyar, Overload - Pichal Pairee (Witch), Rahim Shah - Maama Dey, Shiraz Uppal - Rabba, Siege Band - Main Police Wich Bharti Hogya.

Despite the stagnation in the music industry, the singers got the opportunities to work beyond the borders. Atif Aslam and Salman Ahmed have been offered collaborations with Hollywood musicians. So it can be expected that the new year will bring flurry of activities for the singers of Pakistan that will also help to fill the void.

The third season of Coke studio was yet again appreciated for electrifying performances. Rohail Hyatt’s third time venture of Coke Studio featured Abida Parveen, Arieb Azhar, Arif Lohar, Meesha Shafi, Karavan, Zeb and Haniya, Amanat Ali, Fakir Juman Shah, Noori, Rizwan and Muazzam, Sanam Marvi, Tina Sani, Aunty Disco Project and EP. The most heard song was Alif Allah in which Messha Shafi made a surpris-

ing appearance with her voice while Arif Lohar brought the magic of his voice in the fusion.

It was encouraging to witness the new voices struggling to make their places in the dying industry.

Bilal Khan and SYMT were amongst those who were able to get a little attention of the music lovers. There is a long way to go as the troublesome situation persists and it has to be seen that will the singers be able to bring back the glory of music of Pakistan.

TOP 5 LOCAL SONGS OF 2010: 1. Tenu Samjhawan by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan 2. Alif Allah’ by Arif Lohar and Meesha Shafi 3. Amplifier’ by Imran Khan 4. Paimona by Zeb and Haniya 5. Ab khud kuch kern a paray ga

by Strings and Atif Aslam THE YEAR THAT WENT POP This was the year everyone went gaga for Lady Gaga. The shape-shifting pop star takes home Billboard’s top artist of the year honours, just a year after she earned top

new artist applause. The year-end Top Artists list ranks the best-performing acts of the year derived from activity on two charts: the Billboard 200 albums tally and the Billboard Hot 100 singles list.

Swift has two albums in the top 10 of the year-end Billboard 200 tally, the first time an artist has done so since 1992. “Fearless” (2009) is at No. 7 while the just-released “Speak Now” is at No. 9.

So, last year Gaga was new artist and then became the top artist this year. Could Ke$ha, who snags the throne on 2010’s Top New Artists list, win the big prize in 2011? This year the Kemosabe/RCA singer celebrates not just her new artist win but also her crowning of the Hot 100 Songs roundup, where her debut charting single “TiK ToK” is tops. The track spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the weekly Hot 100 list.

At No. 2 on the year-end Billboard 200 albums list is Eminem’s “Recovery.” All of the rapper’s albums -- save for his debut, “The Slim Shady LP” -- have finished among the year-end top 10 Billboard 200 albums.

Country trio Lady Antebellum is the highest-ranking group on the top artist recap, coming in at No. 4.

It’s the first time a country act is the biggest group of the year.

RECOVERY

I DREAMED A DREAM

SINGER: Lady Antebellum “Need You Now,” was released in mid2009 and was the first single off the band’s new album released in January 2010; it was also the group’s second number one single.

“American Honey”, the second single from Need You Now, was released in January 2010, and became their 4th top 10 single, as well as their third #1 single.

YOU NOW SINGER: Lady Gaga This is the debut studio album by American recording artist Lady Gaga.

Even though it was released on August 19, 2008

by Interscope Records, it still holds the position on the charts. Musically, the album drew inspiration from ‘80s electropop and synthpop while incorporating dance music and clear hooks.

THE FAME

MY CHRISTMAS

FEARLESS

SINGER: SINGER: SINGER: Justin Bieber Andrea Bocelli Taylor Swift Fearless is the His first full studio My Christmas is his second studio release, My World first Holiday album, 2.0, was released produced by David album by American Foster, and was country pop artist on March 23, 2010 released and went Taylor Swift released and has been at in 2008. In 2010, on to become the number one and within the top ten best-selling Holiday the album has been certified 6x Platiof several countries album of the year. num by the RIAA, and was certified and it sold nearly platinum in the 10 million copies United States. It worldwide. was preceded by the worldwide top-ten single, “Baby,” in January 2010.

MYWORLD2.0

SPEAK NOW

THE E.N.D.

SINGER: SINGER: SINGER: Justin Bieber Taylor Swift The Black Eyed Peas My World is his Swift released her The group’s fifth third album Speak debut release, studio album, The which was certified Now on October 25, E.N.D. (“The Energy platinum in the 2010 which sold Never Dies”), was 1,047,000 copies released on June 9, United States, making him the in its first week. She 2009. The E.N.D. has written the first artist to have was the 7th bestseven songs from a album completely by selling album of debut album chart herself in Arkansas, 2009 in the U.S. New York, Boston on the Billboard Hot 100. and Nashville with Nathan Chapman serving as coproducer.

MY WORLD

MUSICAL ALBUMS

SINGER: SINGER: Susan Boyle EMINEM Recovery is the The album features 18 brand new songs seventh studio from season two, album by American rapper Eminem, including songs from special guests released June 18, Gwyneth Paltrow 2010 by Aftermath (‘Forget You’) and Entertainment and Shady Records. newcomer Darren Originally recorded Criss (‘Teenage Dream’). as a sequel to Eminem’s previous album Relapse (2009), Recovery features more introspective and emotional content than its predecessor.

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MUSIC

January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 59

KASHMIR Ashraf Javed

YEAROF

TEENAGE

KILLINGS IN HELD KASHMIR S

Indian state terrorism has drastically increased in Held Kashmir with innocent Kashmiris observing 2010 as the ‘Year of Teenage Killings’ while New Delhi had bolstered Indian military presence to silence the innocent protesters, thanks to the United Nations for watching the human rights abuses like spectators. ince June this year, no less than 150 unarmed Kashmiris were brutally murdered by Indian armed forces including some 20 unarmed teenagers in Held Kashmir. In order to cover up the atrocities and human rights abuses in the Valley, the Indian government has also banned foreign media and human rights activists from traveling to the occupied region.

Pakistan’s political and religious leaders urged the government to break the silence and take up the issue at the appropriate international fora to expose Indian brutalities in the occupied territory.

Ironically, the Indian forces are committing genocide of Kashmiri youth in the region while enforcing complete curfew in the Valley. The recent disclosure of human rights violation by Indian army in the occupied valley is more than an eye opener for UN and the civilized world as well.

According to Indian media reports, the International Committee of the Red Cross provided US diplomats in 2005 with evidence of the systematic use of torture by Indian security forces in Kashmir, leaked US diplomatic cables revealed said.

In a confidential briefing, the ICRC told the diplomats of 177 visits it had made to detention

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centres in Indian Kashmir that revealed “stable trend lines” of prisoner abuses, according to the cables released by website WikiLeaks.

It said that among 1,500 detainees that the Red Cross staff met, more than half reported “ill-treatment.” Of the 852 cases the agency recorded, 171 detainees said they had been beaten, while the rest said they had been subjected to one or more of six forms of torture. These included use of electricity on suspects, suspending them from the ceiling and putting a roller or a round metal object on the thighs of the person and then having somebody sit on it, crushing muscles. Others had their legs stretched 180 degrees, or were subjected to various forms of water torture.

More than 300 cases of sexual abuse were also reported.

“There is regular and widespread use of IT (ill-treatment) and torture by security forces during interrogation. This always takes place in the presence of officers,” the cable said.

The Red Cross said that it had raised the issue of prisoner abuse with the Indian government for more than a decade, but because the practice continued, “it is forced to conclude that the GOI condones torture.”

The ICRC, which met with nearly 1,500 detainees, stressed that very few were militants.

The vast majority were civilians “connected to or believed to have information about the insurgency.”

It also noted that all the branches of the security forces used torture techniques and always in the presence of an officer. The cables concluded that the evidence of ill-treatment and torture was “very disturbing.”

Popular pro-independence protests since June have left more than 110 protesters and bystanders- many of them teenagers and young boys-dead, Indian media said.

Due to complete curfew, shutdown and shoot-to-kill policy of the Indian forces, hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris particularly the aged women and children have been left with no other option but to confine themselves to their small houses. They are also facing severe shortage of food and water due to the worsening situation in the Valley.

A couple of months back, a leading Kashmiri newspaper published the headline ‘2010: A Year

KASHMIR

of Teenage Killing’ to wake up the international community and urging the so-called guarantors of peace to take notice of inhuman acts being committed by Indian forces against the unarmed civilians, protesting for their rights.

According to Kashmiri media, in a dangerous pattern, 20 persons, mostly teenagers, were killed since January this year in disproportionate use of force mainly by paramilitary CRPF troops while maintaining ‘law and order’. Out of 14, the Indian forces killed nine Kashmiri youth in indiscriminate firing while they were protesting against the killing of a youth.

Two teenagers died after being hit by teargas canisters fired by Indian forces while another was killed in firing by the Border Security Force personnel. The month of June turned out to be the bloodiest with killing of eight innocent youngsters.

On November 25, 2010, All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Bilal Lone were manhandled by activists of Hindu right-wing organization and displaced Kashmiri Pandits for allegedly making anti-India

remarks at a seminar. In city to address the seminar on “Kashmir Problem in Reference to Indo-Pak Relations”, Mirwaiz Farooq was manhandled first during his speech at Kisan Bhavan. Later, Mr Lone was also assaulted. According to eyewitnesses, Mirwaiz fell from his chair as he was punched by the activists. Official patronage and presence of so called Kashmiri Pandits at every function outside the state, is a regular practice.

Indian past has witnessed many incidents where India has gagged their liberal elements through its security forces and right-wing Hindu activists. Overtly Indian Government criticizes such incidents, but the fact remains that covertly these are sponsored and backed up by the government itself. That is precisely the reason, why no culprit has so far been punished or brought to justice in the cases of Gujrat killings, Samjhota Express and Sikh massacre. India follows the extremist philosophy of Hinduvta, which inspires Hindu militancy and curbs freedom of speech.

In such repressive environment intellectuals and social communities are confined and denied

their inalienable right of expression. May it be Punjab, Northeastern States or Kashmir, India is averse to listening to the truth and uses its full might to shut down the voices raised against its wrong and impulsive policies. People of Kashmir and Maoist population of India are still fighting for their basic rights, but they are gagged and brutalized by the Indian security forces. Recent incidents reflect intolerance of Hindu mindset, where extremist Hindu elements assaulted Chairman APHC Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Bilal Ghani Lone in Chandigarh and Kolkata when they went there to attend the seminars on resolution of Kashmir issue. Orders by Delhi court to file sedition charge against Ms Arundhati Roy and Syed Ali Gilani on revealing the reality that Kashmir has never been an integral part of India speaks of Indian prejudiced mentality. Reportedly Indian establishment is involved in humiliating Ms Arundhati Roy and arranging an assault at her residence through extremist Hindu activists.

One cannot loose sight of events like banning of foreign TV channels, manhandling and detention of journalists, denying access to international human right organization and foreign news correspondents in IOK and physical attack on pro-movement leaders like Shabbir Ahmed Shah and Syed Ali Gilani.

For how long India can continue to curb the legitimate voices, asking for their basic rights.

The more the Indian highhandedness multiplies, the harsher will be its reaction. In a letter to Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram, AI Asia Pacific Programme Director Sam Zarifi said AI continued to receive reports of torture and illtreatment of individuals in custody in IHK. The people of Kashmir have been fighting for independence for the last fifty years. They are being butchered by the 700,000 Indian soldiers stationed there. The struggle in Kashmir is against armed occupation by the Indian army.

This freedom was promised and assured by UN Resolutions, which have been ignored by successive Indian governments. A freedom struggle cannot last this long without the wishes of the people of Kashmir. The only solution to the problem of Kashmir is self determination by the people of Kashmir to decide their future, whether they want to stay with India or merge with Pakistan. The unabated cruelty on Kashmiris must come to an end. The world has chosen to remain oblivious to the sufferings of the Kashmiris and their plight for independence. IAs in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, winner of Nobel Peace Prize, “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over H H H that by the good people”.

January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 63

STYLE

THE S T LO OM N E R

A C

Inspired by days of yore while keeping the political and social scenario in mind, the designer has chosen a brilliant and bright colour palette to reflect his belief of Pakistan being a nation of colours, carnivals and celebrations. Honouring the stature of royalty, the collection showcases swordsmen and archers marching across the field and woman of tradition wearing aatishi gulabi with a tikka of Kohinoor.

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STYLE

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STYLE

January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 71

STYLE

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DESIGNER: ALI XEESHAN PHOTOGRAPHY: ATHER SHAZAD HAIR, MAKE-UP & STYLING: ATHER SHAHZAD @ ATHER SHAHZAD STUDIO MODELS: MEHREEN SYED AND ATHER AMIN

STYLE

January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 73

FASHION

BY BISHAKHA KHADKA KUNWAR

1

2

3

4

HOT STEPPERS: AYAAN:

She’s been around for only couple of years on the fashion circuit and Ayaan’s the next big thing. One of the most gorgeous faces to grace the ramp with an overwhelming sense if confidence, Ayaan is seen as often on the catwalk as in various ad campaigns. Her exotic eyes, looks and attitude make her stand apart.

FIAZA ANSARI:

Her eclectic presence makes an instant impact from Lahore to Karachi and designers seem to have fallen in love with this model. Bringing the intensity into every frame, Fiaza steals the show with her powerful edginess. She’s a regular at most of the fashion weeks and she is exactly where she should be right now.

TOP MODEL OF YEAR:

DESIGNER OF THE YEAR:

THE BRIDAL SPECIALIST

MEHREEN SYED

THE HOUSE OF KAMIAR ROKNI

HSY

When the master crafts a garment there is only silence. Inspired by awe. Written in genius. Laid out as a tribute, the House of Kamiar Rokni has mastered the traditional techniques, details, indigenous fabrics and embellishments in the most contemporary formats. Their latest collection titled “Folkistan” paints a portrait of women all over Pakistan, celebrating rural motifs.

Their “folkcentric” aesthetics and the ability to craft styles that the global market demands are also those that can easily be sold in the local markets. Kami and Tia are one of the few Pakistani designers who lead the industry forward because of their creativity.

In a world where sense and sensibility are rare, HSY comes as a breather. Extremely polished, intelligent and of course creative, he really is a rare persona who always takes things sensibly in the fickle world of fashion. That aside, The King of Couture is the face of Pakistan’s exquisite bridal wear. HSY’s collection at the debut PFDC fashion week entitle “Mumtaz Jehan” was meant for the contemporary super glam bride and his recent collection entitled “ Metamorphosis” is a ready to wear collection where contemporary silhouettes are enhanced with crafts from across the regions of Pakistan. HSY leaves no stone unturned to make his shows the grandest possible. Be it his designs, runways or the audiences, he always presents the best.

(The showstopper of the moment)

Bow down ladies and gentlemen, there is a new goddess on the ramp these days. From being face of every designer to opening and closing most shows at fashion weeks in the year 2010, Mehreen is the top choice for most of the designers. Besides grabbing the title of one of the top 50 Asian Women of the year award in 2007, she has never looked back and she is treading her way up to become the Top model of the year in 2010.

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FASHION ICON 2010

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FASHION

HIGH STREET (MAKING FASHION AFFORDABLE):

MARIA B. “Internationally relevant and affordable fashion for the modern Pakistani woman,” is the mantra that is behind this designer.

Having said that, Maria B. is the largest manufacturer and retailer if women’s fashion in Pakistan, so it’s natural that Maria forayed into the high street by creating her various affordable lines- Mafia Casuals, Mgirl, Maria B. Evening, Maria B. Lawn. These collections make her accessible and affordable.

Her recent collection titled “Tribal Militants” features tribal bohemia with a sombre goth of military precision is oh-solustworthy and is apt for young girls of today.

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MOST PROMISING DESIGNER:

THE RISING STAR:

BEST DEBUT:

FEEHA JAMSHED (TEEJAYS)

ALI XEESHAN

AKIF MAHMOOD

For me there are two prerequisites to qualify as the most promising. The first is a distinct signature style that is original and the second is the ability to surprise us with new collection inspite of that. Her collection titled “Diamond city” at the debut PFDC fashion week was an ode to Lahore and her cuts were impeccable. Her recent collection entitled “TEEJAYS EVOLUTION” encompassed the 40 years of the evolution of Teejays from bohemia, military style to vintage. “What doesn’t grow decays”, but my oh my this heiress of the fashion house Teejays has risen like a phoenix to continue the legacy of her father and how! She humbly says, “ I am only trying to tell people that trend is innate and who you are is what you create.”

Ali Xeeshan has been quick to make a mark on the local fashion circuit having won hearts at both the PFDC fashion weeks this year. His collection entitled “The Lost Romance” inspired by political and social scenario reflected bright colour palette of Pakistan, the nation of colours, carnivals and celebrations. He successfully combined elements of fantasy and whimsical with a quirky elegance. And his recent collection “The Phoenix” is inspired from the coloured heritage of Kohli tribe in Sindh, one of the worst flood affected areas. Within the parameters of what is wearable, he very well can push his creativity and he is one that is to watch out for in the years to come.

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(DESIGNER TO WATCH OUT FOR)

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What makes Akif special is the fact that he creates and thinks of ideas and silhouette that are traditional with a new and unique twist altogether. His forte lies in designing anything with a touch of our culture and traditions not matter how western the collection is. A fresh graduate of PIFD, Akif’s debut collection “Kolors of Kafiristan” was inspired by the rich culture and traditions found specifically in the costumes and jewellery of Kalash. His debut collection managed to garner much vive and waves across not only in Pakistan but also among international buyers. Akif smiling says, “It was a cream come true and I never thought that it would be so soon. I am one of the few students who got this golden opportunity.”

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They have wowed us with their sparkling range of work, but that’s not the only parameter we have judged the fashion fraternity this year. After consistently tracking them through two seasons of fashion this year, here’s presenting some of those who rose to the occasion and are among the bests of 2010.

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January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 77

January 1, 2011 SUDAY PLUS 02

DIPLOMACY

By Mazhar Qayyum Khan email: mqkay@yahoo.co.uk

CAUSES OF DECLINE IN

FOREIGN POLICY-MAKING It is a hard fact that the successful conduct of a country’s foreign policy depends upon its internal strength in different spheres of life: political, economic as well as cultural.

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vibrant political culture backed by a strong institutional framework, and having a broad consensus on the country’s major issues and their solutions; a stable and thriving economy that reinforces its drive to gain friends in the international domain; enviable cultural traditions and historical achievements that lend an air of respectability to what it stands for; and an educated, well informed human resource able to effectively plead the causes the country holds dear – all these go into the making of a successful foreign policy.

Pakistan could not, at the time of partition, boast of possessing all these fundamental qualities in their most desirable forms for its Foreign Office to play an effective role in the international political field. Yet, its record of that time is enviable by any reckoning, reflecting the spirit with which the young nation was imbued.

Later, as ill luck would have it, Pakistan miserably failed to build on the positive attributes of a developing state, let alone

84 SUNDAY PLUS January 2, 2011

retain, whatever it had inherited. Thus, for reasons to be detailed in the following lines, an all-round decay set in, and since then we have never recovered.

Today, our political scene resembles a complete shambles, and the leadership seems to have little clue to govern. Corrupt to the core, it has lost its legitimacy in the eyes of its own people, and has become a subject of ridicule outside. When the best recourse in its eyes is total subservience to an outside power (the US), it could not be expected to conduct an independent foreign policy nor protect national interests. No competent and well educated diplomatic service could compensate for this grievous failing.

Ranks insecurity and lawlessness have, no doubt, grown unbearable following our participation in the war on terror, but they are due, in no less measure, to the ineptness and indifference of our rulers.

No investor worth his name would put his money on the line in such a climate, even

if the economic situation was not as bad.

Already, the economy, another pillar on which a forceful foreign policy could be erected, is in such doldrums that seemingly convincing arguments about an impending collapse are being heard from every corner.

They get their viability from rising inflation, growing impoverishment and increasing restlessness in society across the board.

Similarly, there has been clearly noticeable erosion in our cultural values, with the younger generations, which, on the one hand, are unable to grasp the real essence of Western culture that they are keen to adopt, on the other, have failed to secure a proper foothold in Islamic values and local traditions that go with them. Thus the unprecedented historical feats of great courage and resolve that had lent an aura of awe and respectability around the world for the Pakistanis, and the words of their diplomats at international forums and chancelleries of the world would invariably carry weight, lost their charm. These feats,

DIPLOMACY

As a result of Pakistan’s successful diplomacy, New Delhi had to recognise the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination to be held under UN-auspices to decide whether they wanted to join Pakistan or India. for instance, were securing a homeland in the shortest time, under the harshest conditions, and successfully completing the Herculean task of feeding and housing the unending flow of 10 million human beings.

Now, bowed under mounting debts, internal as well as external, and carrying a begging bowl everywhere; plagued with endemic corruption and mismanagement; and afflicted with insecurity and threat of terrorism; the country has lost its prestige in the international arena, making it difficult for its diplomats to plead its causes. Thus, the country’s historical achievements stood eclipsed. But how did the rot set in and precisely when it occurred? The causes, briefly outlined above, could be elaborated.

As post-independence leaders squabbled with each other to grab power to the neglect of the rationale of the creation of Pakistan – the welfare of the people, the central message of Islam – and opportunist Generals staged coups d’état, took advantage of the situation to interrupt the political process several times, the first casualty was the institutions of the state, which serve as the bedrock of stability of the system and, indeed, of foreign policy.

And every succeeding political set-up, run either by civilian leadership or the military, brought with it a more degenerate lot to the helm of power. There were systematic attempts at nibbling at the role of these institutions.

Ambitious military rulers set the stage for this corrosive attitude, appropriating to themselves the pursuit of major foreign policy goals. Whether it was General (later self-appointed Field Marshal) Ayub Khan or other military rulers they virtually sidelined the foreign policy experts, who had spent their lifetime in the field to gain the required expertise, while making decision on crucial issues. The task ultimately left to the professionals was to find diplomatically acceptable justifications for the military rulers’ decisions, which in any case

had come a cropper.

Take, for instance, the decision to cast our lot with the US by joining the regional security pacts intending to encircle the Soviet Union, which earned Pakistan an abiding enmity of Moscow, something it has not forgiven even to this day; rather, the rancour stands accentuated by our alliance with the US in its ouster from Afghanistan.

The permission to fly U-2 from our soil, the 1965 war with India, the army’s coup de grace in the bisection of Pakistan, the Kargil episode and more recently jumping on the American anti-terror bandwagon – none were ever conceived of by our foreign policy professionals. They were taken by those who were trained to get things done with fisticuffs, not in the art of diplomacy.

Kashmir, nuclear power and now the war on terror have continued to remain the preserve of the army, which has left little scope for the skills of trained diplomats to come into play.

The civilians, whenever they had a chance to come to power, did not lag behind either in ruining the institutional decision-making process, and with rare exceptions tried to promote their own solutions of the issues in the external domain, giving little weight to the inputs of experts in the Foreign Ministry.

No doubt, Pakistan’s diplomatic history contains some brilliant exponents of its causes, who came from outside the diplomatic corps. They excelled in advocating the country’s interests in the chambers of international conferences and before foreign governments endeared themselves and the country to the world community. Thus, the idea of meddling by outside forces is not to decry the concept of lateral entry, but the practice of bringing in incompetent sons and relatives and friends. Although, first it was the military that had opened the door of the Foreign Office, mainly to its servicemen who had lost their utility in the field for which they

had been trained, the civilian governments also never thought twice before appointing unfit cronies to the diplomatic service.

There was, therefore, an inevitable decline in the quality of work, and with the choicest posts, and, indeed, the most important from the country’s point of view, being parcelled out to undeserving outsiders, from the army, politics or whatever, there was bound to be bitter disenchantment and frustration among competent, regular diplomats.

The once highly regarded human resource in the Foreign Office began to fade, with unmerited intrusions of armed forces’ and political favourites on the one hand, and the lure of the private sector, which had become quite vibrant and where talent was free to make its mark and get substantially bigger financial rewards, on the other.

The pioneers of our Foreign Service – bright and enthusiastic minds that had joined its ranks – had made a name for the country and themselves at the UN and other international forums where seasoned representatives of states sat spellbound, as they successfully defended the country’s interests, including the cause of the Kashmiri people. India had invaded and illegally occupied a major part of their homeland, the Jammu & Kashmir State, and manoeuvred to obtain a fake instrument of accession purportedly from the ruling prince. As a result of Pakistan’s successful diplomacy, New Delhi had to recognise the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination to be held under UN-auspices to decide whether they wanted to join Pakistan or India.

Unless serious efforts are made to build the country’s internal strength by letting its institutions flourish, as stipulated under the Constitution, there is little hope for the downward trend to reverse.

The writer is a staff member and former Ambassador of Pakistan.

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ZODIAC

Dr. Zaibun Nisa

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86 SUNDAY PLUS January 2, 2011

S I TH

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ZODIAC

ES IP SC

US I R A AQU

January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 87

TIMELINE

By Madiha Syedain

THE YEAR THAT WAS...

MAY

13

DEC

17 2010 proved to be an era of political chaos, terrorist attacks, flood factors and economical instability in Pakistan. Let us hope that the year 2011 would prove relief, security and stability to the deserving Pakistanis.

JANUARY

FEBUARY

JANUARY 1: l Two missiles fired by a drone kill 3 people in Ghundikala, North Waziristan. At least 88 people are killed and over 37 people injured in a suicide bomb blast at a volleyball match in Lakki Marwat.

JANUARY 3: l At least four people including former minister Ghani-ur-Rehman are killed in a bomb blast near Hangu. Two people are killed in a drone strike near Mir Ali, North Waziristan.

JANUARY 6: l Three people are killed and at least 11 injured in a bomb blast in Azad Kashmir.

Nine people are killed in two drone strikes in Sanzali, North Waziristan.

JANUARY 8: l At least eight suspected militants are killed in an accidental explosion in Baldia, Karachi. Five people are killed in a drone strike in Tappi, North Waziristan.

JANUARY 19: l Six people are killed and two are injured in a US drone strike in Deegan, North Waziristan JANUARY 24: l The Taliban claim that they have shot down a US drone in Hamzoni, North Waziristan.

FEBRUARY 2: l 17 people are killed by 18 missiles fired

by US drone planes in Dattakhel Tehsil, North Waziristan. 11 people are killed in incidents of target killings in Karachi.

FEBRUARY 6: l At least 25 people are killed and over a 100 injured in two bomb blasts in Karachi.

FEBRUARY 7: Death toll from Karachi bomb blasts rises to 33.

FEBRUARY 11: l 13 people, including nine police officers are killed and 21 injured in two suicide bomb blasts in Bannu.

FEBRUARY 13: l President Zardari appoints LHC CJ Khwaja Sharif as a Supreme Court judge and Justice Saquib Nisar as the new LHC CJ. l SC CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry takes suo moto action of the notification, forms 3-member bench to hear the case and suspends the notification, saying the appointment of judges is in violation of Article 177 of the Constitution.

FEBRUARY 16: l PM Gilani meets CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry at a farewell dinner held for Justice Ramday.

90 SUNDAY PLUS January 2, 2011

FEBRUARY 22: l 13 people are killed and at least 42 injured in a suicide bombing in Mingora, Swat.

FEBRUARY 23: l Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen resigns from his office.

FEBRUARY 24: l PML-N candidate Shakeel Awan defeats AML leader Sheikh Rashid in the NA-55 by-election in Rawalpindi. l Former local government secretary Lala Fazlur Rehman is appointed as the new administrator of Karachi.

FEBRUARY 25: l India’s and Pakistan’s foreign secretaries meet in New Delhi for talks.

MARCH MARCH 4: l Rehman Malik acquitted of corruption charges by a NAB court.

MARCH 9: l ISI head Lt. Gen Shuja Pasha gets a one year extension as a three star general.

MARCH 10: MARCH 12: l 57 people are killed and at least 136 people are injured in two suicide bombings in Lahore’s Cantonment area. Seven low-intensity bombs go off in Allama Iqbal Town and Samanabad in Lahore.

TIMELINE

AUG

04

JUN

08 JAN

01 AUG

MAY

29

28

MARCH 18: l Protests break out in Bara Kahu against fares in transport hikes.

MARCH 19: l Bara Kahu protests continue, protestors’ damage property in the area.

MARCH 21: l Three people are killed in a bomb blast in Quetta. l Four people are killed in a drone strike in North Waziristan.

MARCH 22: l Government of Pakistan files a review petition against the NRO verdict in the Supreme Court.

MARCH 25: l PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif raises concerns about the procedure of appointment of judges outlined in 18th Amendment draft, says it will not sign bill until the matter is settled.

MARCH 30: l SC asks NAB to implement NRO verdict within 24 hours. l The United Nations says it has delayed the release of the Benazir Bhutto murder report prepared by the Commission for 2 weeks on President Zardari’s request. l At least six people are killed in a drone strike in North Waziristan.

MARCH 31: l NAB says it has sent a letter to the Swiss authorities asking them to reopen cases against Zardari. l Swiss Prosecutor General Daniel Zappelli says the cases cannot be reopened as President Zardari enjoys immunity under the Constitution. l All political parties in the NA Consti-

tutional Reforms Committee reach a consensus on the draft of the 18th Amendment bill.

APRIL 20: l

APRIL APRIL 6: l 18th Amendment bill introduced in the NA. APRIL 10: l At least 60 civilians are killed in Khyber Agency in a Pakistan Air Force bombing.

APRIL 12: l Protests break out in Abbotabad against the renaming of NWFP as KhyberPakhtunkhwa, at least 7 people are killed and over a 100 injured in the riots. 18th Amendment bill introduced in the Senate, PML-Q opposes the bill. Five people are killed in a drone strike in Boya, near Miramshah in North Waziristan.

APRIL 15: l Senate passes the 18th Amendment APRIL 16: l UN Commission releases its report on the Benazir Bhutto murder investigation. At least ten people are killed in a bomb blast in Quetta’s Civil Hospital.

APRIL 18: l Eight government officials named in the UN Commission report on Benazir Bhutto’s murder are suspended and placed on the Exit Control List.

APRIL 19: l President Zardari signs the 18th Amendment bill into law. l

At least 23 people are killed and over 20 injured in a suicide bombing near a Jamaat-e-Islami rally in Qissa Khwani Bazar, Peshawar.

Former intelligence officials Colonel Imam and Khalid Khawaja are kidnapped along with a Pakistani-British filmmaker Asad Qureshi in Waziristan by a group called Asian Tigers.

APRIL 22: l

Govt of Pakistan announces a five day working week, closure of markets at 8PM to counter energy crisis.

APRIL 26: l

Three police officials are killed in an attack by gunmen in Dera Murad Jamali, Balochistan.

APRIL 27: l

A university professor is shot dead by gunmen in Quetta, Balochistan.

APRIL 28: l

Supreme Court voids promotion of 54 bureaucrats by the Prime Minister.

MAY MAY 2: l

Two boys’ schools are blown up in Bajaur.

MAY 4: l

Pakistani-US citizen Faisal Shahzad is arrested in failed Times Square bombing case.

MAY 13: l

Evacuations continue in Hunza Valley as Atabad lake, continues to engulf lowlying areas.

MAY 17: l

LHC upholds Rehman Malik’s conviction in two NAB references; President Zardari grants Malik a presidential pardon.

January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 91

TIMELINE

JUL

28 MAY 19: l

FEB

Airblue plane crashes in Margalla Hills, Islamabad, all 152 passengers on board killed.

Pakistan Telecommunications Authority bans access to Facebook.

JUNE

17

JULY 31: United Nations says one million people have been affected by the floods, death toll reaches 800.

AUGUST

JUNE 2: l

State Bank of Pakistan’s Governor Saleem Raza resigns.

JUNE 6: l

15 people are killed as Cyclone Phet hits coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

Electricity break downs take place all over Karachi for more than 24 hours.

JULY JULY 1: l Three suicide bombings at Data Darbar in Lahore kill at least 40 people and leave 175 injured.

JULY 14: l Balochistan National Party’s secretary General Habib Jalib is assassinated in Quetta.

JULY 22: l PM Gilani announces a 3 year extension in COAS General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani’s tenure.

JULY 24: l Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Information Minister Mian Iftikhar’s son is shot dead in Nowshera. l Flash floods in Balochistan, 19 dead bodies are recovered, death toll reaches 70.

AUGUST 2: l MQM MPA Raza Haider and his bodyguard assassinated in Karachi. Riots break out in the city leaving at least 35 people dead.

AUGUST 3: l Death toll reaches 45 in Karachi violence, at least 90 people are injured.

AUGUST 4: l Death toll reaches 82 in Karachi riots after MQM MPA’s death. l Floods hit areas in Layyah, Muzaffargarh, and Dera Ghazi Khan, at least 100,000 people evacuated.

AUGUST 5: l Floods hit areas of Sindh, thousands begin to evacuate the areas. UN says four million people have been affected by the floods so far.

AUGUST 11: l UN issues an appeal for $460 million for flood victims.

AUGUST 14: l 700,000 people are reportedly stranded in Dera Allah Yar, on the SindhBalochistan border.

AUGUST 16: l UN says at least 3.5 million children are at risk of water-borne diseases, 10 people die in relief camps from gastroenteritis.

PM Gilani and CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry meet. PM announces cancellation of notification of the judges.

AUGUST 19: l ANP leader killed in Karachi, riots leave 13 people dead.

AUGUST 20: l 500 villages of Sajawal, Junejo and Shahdadkot are inundated by floods, flood waters begin passing through Kotri Barrage.

AUGUST 22: l 200,000 people move to higher ground after flood threat.

AUGUST 29: l News of the World says Pakistani cricketers Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir are involved in spot-fixing in the Lord’s test match against England.

AUGUST 31: l Flood waters head to Arabian Sea.

SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 7: l Aisam-ul-Haq becomes first Pakistani tennis player to reach US Open mixed doubles’ final after winning the quarter final.

SEPTEMBER 8: l Interior Minister Rehman Malik announces a ban on five groups in Balochistan.

SEPTEMBER 9: l Five people are killed and four injured in a suicide bombing at the Balochistan Finance Minister’s house. l Pakistani-British filmmaker Asad Qureshi released by Asian Tigers after months of captivity.

DEC

13 OCT

07 92 SUNDAY PLUS January 2, 2011

TIMELINE

SEP

08

SEPTEMBER 16: l MQM leader Imran Farooq is killed in London, MQM announces ten days of mourning.

SEPTEMBER 23: l Dr. Afia Siddiqui is sentenced to 86 years jail by a US court.

OCTOBER OCTOBER 1: l NATO oil tankers are attacked in Shikarpur by suspected militants.

OCTOBER 2: l Swat University’s Vice Chancellor Dr. Farooq Khan is assassinated in Mardan.

OCTOBER 3: l Six people are killed after a NATO oil tankers’ depot is attacked in Islamabad.

OCTOBER 6: l 22 NATO tankers are set ablaze in Quetta, 35 in Nowshera.

OCTOBER 7: l Eight people are killed and at least 70 injured in two suicide bombings at the shrine of Sufi saint Abdullah Shah Ghazi in Karachi.

OCTOBER 9: l Pakistan reopens NATO supply route, 29 oil tankers are set ablaze in Sibi, Balochistan.

OCTOBER 17: Target killings in Karachi escalate, another 20 people are killed.

OCTOBER 21:

l

FEB

Aisam-ul-Haq becomes first Pakistani player to reach mens’ doubles final in US Open.

13

l

SC passes order in 18th Amendment case, sends article 175A back to Parliament for a review within 90 days.

OCTOBER 25: l Seven people are killed and 14 people are injured in a bomb blast outside the shrine of Baba Farid Shakar Ganj in Pakpattan.

OCTOBER 26: l Asma Jehangir wins SCBA election, becomes first women president of the bar association.

NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 11: l 17 people are killed and at least 150 people are injured in a gun and bomb attack at the CID office in Karachi.

NOVEMBER 24: l Parliamentary body approves Justice Ijaz Chaudhry’s appointment as the next Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court.

NOVEMBER 25: l Supreme Court says spy agencies are not above the law and can be served notices during proceedings of missing persons’ case.

NOVEMBER 26: l The Senate approves the RGST bill, PML-Q walks out during proceedings.

NOVEMBER 27: l A Russian cargo aircraft crashes a minute after taking off from Karachi airport into a residential area, at least 12 people are killed.

President Zardari appoints LHC CJ Khwaja Sharif as a Supreme Court judge and Justice Saqib Nisar as the new LHC CJ.

DECEMBER DECEMBER 1: l President Zardari approves the nomination of Justice Ijaz Chaudhry as LHC CJ DECEMBER 2: l The Wikileaks have made some startling disclosures about Pakistan politicians and their policy matters.

DECEMBER 7: l 9 people are injured in a suicide bomb blast aimed at assassinating the Balochistan CM Aslam Raisani, who escapes unhurt.

DECEMBER 14: l PM Gilani fires Azam Khan Swati and Hamid Saeed Kazmi from his cabinet. l JUI-F announces it is quitting the PPP-led coalition. l CIA Station chief in Islamabad is recalled after his name is published in an FIR registered by a family member of drone victims.

DECEMBER 17: l Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao paid, an official visit to Pakistan and lift economic and trade cooperation to a new high.

DECEMBER 23: l The National Assembly approved the 19th Amendment with overwhelming majority without holding a debate.

H H H

MAY

19

NOV

25

January 2, 2011 SUNDAY PLUS 93